Urban areas in Vietnam to number 1,000 by 2020

Vietnam will witness an increase in the number of urban areas from the current 774 to 850 by the end of the year, and forecasts reaching 1,000 by 2020, heard a workshop on eco-urban development and carbon reduction in Hanoi this week.
Vietnam will witness an increase in the number of urban areas from thecurrent 774 to 850 by the end of the year, and forecasts reaching 1,000by 2020, heard a workshop on eco-urban development and carbon reductionin Hanoi this week.

At the workshop on March 11, other reportsand studies were released, largely focused on issues big cities,especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, are facing such as populationgrowth, flooding, traffic, shortage of energy, water contamination andsalinity.

"Accelerated socio-economic development and globalintegration, in association with urbanisation, is an irresistible trendfor any country," Deputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh toldevent participants including Japanese counterparts.

"However,rapid urbanisation has caused various problems in urban areas. Urbaninfrastructure has failed to meet development demands, flooding andtraffic congestion," she said, adding that, "the workshop gave a lot ofinsight into how construction of green urban areas can move us towardsmore sustainable development."

"The cooperation, investment,assistance and sharing of experience from Japanese counterparts in bothtechnology and knowledge will accelerate urbanisation in Vietnam, andimprove Vietnam and Japan's relationship," said Linh.

During theone-day event, co-organised by HCM City's Energy Conservation Centre andMinistry of Construction's Urban Development Department, participatinglocal managers provided details about how policies interacted with therealities of developing ecological urban areas in Vietnam.

Japanesespecialists spoke about Japan's eco-urban area standards, appliedtechnologies and shared ideas about how to bring technologies like solarenergy, solid waste treatment solutions, LED lighting and smart-bikingsystems to Vietnam's urban areas.

In accordance with PrimeMinister Nguyen Tan Dung's Decision No. 445/QD-TTg in April of 2009,Vietnam's master plan for 2025 must develop urban systems with modern,high-quality and environmental-friendly technology and infrastructure.-VNA

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