Lang Son (VNA) — The French Development Agency (AFD) in Vietnam and the People’s Committee of Lang Son province agreed to accelerate procedures for launching a major climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure project in the northern locality in 2027, at a working session on May 27.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Huu Hoc said Lang Son, as a mountainous border province, is frequently affected by natural disasters, floods, landslides and increasingly severe climate change impacts. Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, environmental improvement, disaster prevention capacity enhancement, and the protection of people’s livelihoods is always defined as a key long-term task for the locality’s sustainable development, he stressed.
According to the official, increasingly unpredictable extreme weather events and rising temperatures have posed growing challenges to local socio-economic development and livelihoods. In that context, support from AFD has not only contributed to Lang Son’s socio-economic development, but also helped strengthen the cooperation between Vietnam and France in sustainable development and climate change response.
The project focuses on essential infrastructure works, including upgrading reservoirs, drainage systems and environmental treatment facilities; building river embankments to prevent erosion; improving disaster warning systems; and strengthening local capacity in environmental and urban management.
The local authorities have incorporated feedback from ministries and sectors, and AFD experts to refine the project proposal in line with Vietnamese regulations and AFD’s financing criteria, Hoc said, adding that Lang Son pledges to work closely with AFD and related agencies throughout the preparation and implementation process, ensuring effective use of loans and compliance with donor requirements.
AFD Country Director in Vietnam Julien Seillan spoke highly of the project’s feasibility and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting long-term climate adaptation initiatives in Lang Son. He said that the successful implementation of the project in Lang Son could become a model for other localities in Vietnam.
According to Bui Hoang Nam, Director of the provincial Management Board of Construction Investment Projects, the project is funded by AFD and the European Union’s Water and Natural Resources Management (WARM) Facility. It will be implemented in six communes, namely Van Quan, Huu Lung, Chi Lang, That Khe, Khang Chien and Loc Binh. The project consists of two main components, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and environmental improvement; and technical assistance and capacity building, with AFD experts expected to train project management officials and local agencies in disaster response and climate adaptation. The project will also pilot environmental sanitation and urban landscape models for local communities.
Its total investment is estimated at about 1.52 trillion VND (58.5 million USD), including more than 1.07 trillion VND in AFD loans, over 414 billion VND in counterpart funding and more than 39 billion VND in non-refundable aid.
The project has been jointly studied by AFD and the local authorities since July 2022. The two sides have held multiple working sessions since 2023 and are expected to sign a financing agreement in December 2027./.
Japan, UNICEF join hands to strengthen children’s resilience to natural disasters, climate change
Natural disasters in Vietnam have been increasing in both frequency and intensity. Typhoon No.3 in 2024 (Yagi), along with severe floods, inundation and landslides in 2025, caused significant human and material losses. This underscores the need for targeted and sustainable investments in disaster risk reduction and early warning, particularly for children and vulnerable communities.
