KOICA helps Vietnam’s green urban planning project

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh said after more than two years of implementation, with efforts of both Vietnamese and Korean experts, along with close coordination among the ministry, KOICA, and the authorities of Thai Nguyen and Kien Giang provinces - beneficiary localities, the project was finished with practical outcomes. 

It focused on developing the Green City index of Vietnam and the Green City Urban Planning Decision Support System (GDSS); making pilot planning projects in Yen Binh urban area of Thai Nguyen and Rach Ra city of Kien Giang; and building a legal framework on green urban planning, she noted. 

The Ministry and KOICE spent one year on preparing contents of the project before starting it, she said. 

The project’s results are expected to significantly contribute to realising Vietnam’s national strategy on green growth, sustainable development, as well as help improve the country’s capacity in building and managing the green urban planning. 

Products of the project will be useful documents for urban planning experts, thus supporting the management of urban development and planning in Vietnam in the future, Linh affirmed. 

The Ministry expects that the project’s products, particularly GDSS, will be introduced to many localities throughout the country, towards enhancing the capacity of urban development and management and building the information system on planning management and urban development nationwide, she said. 

Kim Jin-oh, Director of KOICA in Vietnam said with rapid economic growth and population expansion, Vietnam has been facing a serious of urban problems such as the lack of urban infrastructure facilities and environmental pollution.

He said the Vietnamese Government has developed a Green Growth Strategy to balance economic development and environmental protection, while promoting efforts to devise relevant policies.

Director of Thai Nguyen’s Department of Construction Hoang Duc Khanh said this is a practical project as it helps the State management agencies of Vietnam have a closer look at the planning-related issues.

Thai Nguyen hopes to be selected for the project’s second phase, which will focus on green and smart urban development, he added. 

Cooperation with KOICA in the project will be seen as a reference for the building of a project on smart urban development that will be submitted to the Government in the coming time, Deputy Minister Linh said.