HCM City plans to develop the potential of the Sai Gon River and the city's river-canal network (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said at a conference held on September 11 that the city expects tooutline a plan to build embankments and improve management of land alongrivers and canals by the year-end.
The conference was organised by the municipal People’s Committee todiscuss long-term solutions to develop the Sai Gon River and urban river-canal networkto 2025.
Nhan said the city should have a strategy on embankment and waterwaydevelopment to 2030. “The system of rivers and canals is a natural resource that plays animportant role in the city’s formation and development process,” he said.
He said the city should learn lessonsfrom other countries to avoid mistakes when building embankments.
The role of land and embankmentsalong the rivers and canals should be clearly defined, including the functionit plays in the transport system, drainage system, community activities,and riverside business projects.
“It’s necessary to research and deploymodern technologies when building embankments for multiplepurposes,” he said.
Models of cooperation between authorities,residents and enterprises should be developed as well, he said.
The city also needs local and foreignexperts who can develop strategies to control flooding andimprove water drainage, he added.
The option of building aflood-control dyke in Can Gio district will beconsidered, according to Nhan.
To deal with managing andadministrative conflicts, the city should review discrepanciesbetween planning, construction and transport policies, he said.
Nguyen Thanh Nha, Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Architecture Department, said the system of rivers and canalsin the city feature natural landscapes that contribute to socio-economicdevelopment.
“However, exploiting the landscape of therivers and canals has not been given adequate attention,” he added.
Climate change and rapid urbanisation arealso affecting waterways. Landslides, land subsidence, illegal constructionnear waterways, and environmental pollution are hindering development, he said.
The city has more than 100 rivers andcanals, with water surface accounting for about 16 percent of the city'stotal area.
Embankments built in the city account for15 percent of the total rivers and canals.
“Mobilising intellectual and socio-economicresources is very important so that scientific and comprehensive solutionscan be developed to cope with risks and challenges, and promote thepotential of these areas,” Nha said.
Do Thanh Tung, head of the National Institute ofArchitecture, said the city should begin studies on buildinglandscapes on the water surface of rivers and canals.
“Planning on rivers and canalsshould focus on serving all citizens’ demands and ensuring their basicfunction of water drainage,” he added.
Associate Professor Sybil Derrible, fromthe University of Illinois in Chicago in the US, said the role ofcanals in many cities around the world has changed significantly andhas helped solve problems that cities face.
Canals can be used for multiplefunctions, from transporting people and goods and providing drinking waterto handling storm water runoff.
“With proper planning, canalscan revitalise entire neighborhoods and can significantlyhelp address contemporary issues,” he said.
Canals present both social andengineering assets, and offer opportunities that should be leveraged to helpbuild smarter, more sustainable and more resilient cities, he said./.
