The launch of the project on May 27 (Photo: VNA) The project is financed with 5 millionEUR (over 5.3 million USD) in non-refundable aid from the EU, 123 million EURin ODA loan from the French Development Agency (AFD), and 28 million EUR fromthe Vietnamese Government.
It aims to reduce the vulnerability to natural disastersin five urban areas, namely Phat Diem township (Ninh Binh province), Ngoc Lactownship (Thanh Hoa province), Hoang Mai town (Nghe An province), and Huong Kheand Thach Ha townships (Ha Tinh province).
Under this project, necessary urban infrastructurefacilities will be built to serve water drainage, ease flooding, and improveenvironmental hygiene, clean water supply, and solid waste treatment. Technicalassistance will also be provided to help the localities enhance the project’ssustainability by boosting their capacity to operate and maintain wastewatertreatment stations and other utilities.
Addressing the launch, Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the EU Delegation toVietnam, said over the past years, many areas in the country’s central regionhave been hit hard by storms and flooding, leading to heavy human and property lossesin both rural and urban areas. When urban areas are still expanding, adaptingto climate change has become essential to guarantee the sustainability of this developmentprocess.
Implemented by local authorities, activities in thisproject will improve the sustainability by building the coordination andcommunication capacity, developing the information and risk management system,and supporting operation and maintenance activities, which are in line with theEU’s priorities on urban sustainability, according to the diplomat.
AFD Director in Vietnam Hervé Conannoted the project matches the AFD’s strategy in the country, which is to helpimplement the Paris Agreement on climate change and Vietnam’s commitments made atthe 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
The combination of an AFD loan with theEU’s non-refundable aid is a big advantage for the success of this project aswell as for the sustainability of urban infrastructure, he added./.
VNA
