Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank Board of Directors on July 31 approved a projectworth 129.6 million USD to strengthen flood resilience and improve sanitation,transport, and public space infrastructure in Nghe An province's Vinh city - a political,economic, and cultural centre of the north-central coastal region.
The projectis expected to directly benefit 250,000 residents in Vinh city’s urban core byreducing flood risk and improving public health.
Oncecompleted, the project will connect 30,000 households to new or rehabilitatedsecondary and tertiary sewers, and halve the time women spend on unpaidhousework after flooding, including cleaning.
Theproject will contribute to climate adaptation by reducing damage from heavyrains, and to climate mitigation by improving living conditions in the city’scentre and the construction of pedestrian and bike lanes.
World Bank Country Director for Vietnam CarolynTurk said that the project is more than just infrastructure; it's atransformative endeavor enhancing the socioeconomic conditions of Vinh City'sinhabitants.
“Theproject embodies the World Bank’s commitment to assisting Vietnam in achievingsustainable urbanisation and resilient growth,” she said.
The projectdesign reflects lessons learned about urban resilience and disaster riskmanagement in Vietnam and builds on the World Bank’s Vietnam Country Climate andDevelopment Report by supporting the city’s ability to predict and respond tofloods and engage in more climate-sensitive urban planning.
Investmentsinclude flood control systems, wastewater collection and treatmentinfrastructure, and transport links to promote sustainable urban growth andclimate resilience.
According tothe World Bank, Vinh city lacks the capacity to cope with severe rainfallevents, resulting in stormwater pooling at various locations throughout thecity. To improve the drainage system, a new lake will be built to store excessstormwater runoff in an expanded flood basin within the city.
Theproject will also support the conversion of vacant land on both sides of theVinh River into green public spaces while improving waste collection andseparation to reduce the quantity of plastic waste disposed into the rivers.
Previously, the World Bank approved 194.36million USD for four medium-sized cities in Vietnam to build some essentialinfrastructure and strengthen urban planning capacity. According to the WorldBank, the Dynamic Urban Integrated Development Project aims to increaseaccessibility and improve urban services in four urban areas - Ky Anh (HaTinh), Tinh Gia (Thanh Hoa), Hai Duong, and Yen Bai. The project activities areexpected to directly benefit about 200,000 residents, more than half of them women./.
