Delegates attend the APEC Dialogue on Sustainable Urbanisation (Source: apec2017.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – Representatives from APEC member economies and relevantinternational organisations gathered in Hanoi on May 14 to discuss ways toboost sustainable urbanisation in the context of globalisation and climatechange.
Opening the APEC Dialogue on Sustainable Urbanisation, VietnameseDeputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh said that the Asia-Pacificregion is now home to 42 percent of the world’s population, with 1.8 billionpeople living in urban areas.
“The management of the urban transformation is an important and difficult taskfor the member economies, particularly in the context of globalisation andclimate change,” she noted.
Linh cited Vietnam as an example,saying that after 30 years of reform, the country has made importantachievements in urbanisation.
The urban system has developed rapidly in terms of number and quality, withurbanisation rate increasing from 19.6 percent with 629 urban areas in 2009 toabout 36.6 percent with 802 urban areas in 2016.
The urban sector produces about 70 percent of the country’s total GDP, bringingabout much values in industrial production, export and import, science andtechnology progress and exerting spreading impacts of social economicdevelopment to the region and the country.
However, like many other developed economies, urbanisation in Vietnam has facedmany difficulties and challenges, such as the rapid and hot urbanisation overpasssingthe management capacity of local administrations, the inconsistant developmentbetween technical and social infrastructure, uncontrolled migration, socialdisparity as well as new arising global problems like climate change and sealevel rising.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, whois SOM Chair, stated that together with the increasing urbanisation and itsrole in social economic development, there are many associated problems andchallenges of high levels of impacts on the environment and people.
“They require changes in urban development and management approaches,” he said,stressing the need for multi-sector and integrated strategies and solutions tosupport well-managed urban development, problem-solving and innovation towardsustainable and inclusive development.
Opening the APEC Dialogue on Sustainable Urbanisation, VietnameseDeputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh said that the Asia-Pacificregion is now home to 42 percent of the world’s population, with 1.8 billionpeople living in urban areas.
“The management of the urban transformation is an important and difficult taskfor the member economies, particularly in the context of globalisation andclimate change,” she noted.
Linh cited Vietnam as an example,saying that after 30 years of reform, the country has made importantachievements in urbanisation.
The urban system has developed rapidly in terms of number and quality, withurbanisation rate increasing from 19.6 percent with 629 urban areas in 2009 toabout 36.6 percent with 802 urban areas in 2016.
The urban sector produces about 70 percent of the country’s total GDP, bringingabout much values in industrial production, export and import, science andtechnology progress and exerting spreading impacts of social economicdevelopment to the region and the country.
However, like many other developed economies, urbanisation in Vietnam has facedmany difficulties and challenges, such as the rapid and hot urbanisation overpasssingthe management capacity of local administrations, the inconsistant developmentbetween technical and social infrastructure, uncontrolled migration, socialdisparity as well as new arising global problems like climate change and sealevel rising.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, whois SOM Chair, stated that together with the increasing urbanisation and itsrole in social economic development, there are many associated problems andchallenges of high levels of impacts on the environment and people.
“They require changes in urban development and management approaches,” he said,stressing the need for multi-sector and integrated strategies and solutions tosupport well-managed urban development, problem-solving and innovation towardsustainable and inclusive development.
The dialogue, held within the framwork of the second APEC Senior OfficialsMeeting (SOM2) and related meetings, focuses on discussing institutionalframework and policy for sustainable urban development and urbanisation,linkages in regional urban development towards sustainability, urban housingdevelopment adaptive to climate change, and development models of energyefficiency and green growth.
A set of policy recommendations are expected to be formulated frompresentations and discussions at the dialogue, which could be refered to whiledeveloping the urban agenda in each APEC member economies.-VNA
A set of policy recommendations are expected to be formulated frompresentations and discussions at the dialogue, which could be refered to whiledeveloping the urban agenda in each APEC member economies.-VNA
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