Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) Board of Executive Directors hasapproved a 194.36 million USD credit package to help four secondary cities inVietnam build critically-needed municipal infrastructure and strengthen urbanplanning, the WB said on June 12.

The Dynamic Cities Integrated Development Project aims to increase access toimproved urban services in the four urban centres of Ky Anh (Ha Tinh province),Tinh Gia (Thanh Hoa province), Hai Duong (Hai Duong province), and Yen Bai (YenBai province). The total cost of the project is 276.17 million USD, of which194.36 million USD comes from the WB’s International Development Association(IDA).  

Approximately 200,000 residents are expected to benefit directly from projectactivities, of which more than half are women. In Vietnam, secondary cities arebroadly defined as cities with populations ranging from 100,000 to 500,000.

The project will help reduce flood risks, improve sanitation,reduce travel time on new and improved roads, and develop high-quality publicspaces. The project will also improve connectivity to Industrial Parks, ExportProcessing Zones, commercial establishments, and tourist attractions,benefiting workers and merchants as well as visitors. These improvements inturn are expected to help boost productivity, enable exports, create more jobs,and help generate sustained economic growth.

WB Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione said the secondary cities areplaying increasingly important role in Vietnam’s growth poles through efficientmovement of goods, people, services and information.

The selected cities have demonstrated their potential to become dynamiceconomic hubs at the provincial and regional levels, he said, adding that theproject will help fill the infrastructure gap by providing much-neededfinancing to deliver quality services with lessons and best practices gainedfrom WB engagements in other cities around the world.

Uneven access to basic services like drainage systems, wastewater collectionand treatment and road networks are seen as major problems in the cities. Thishas led to increasing traffic congestion, flooding and deterioration or lack ofpublic spaces.

The project will help handle those challenges via both structuraland non-structural support, including a series of infrastructure investments ineach subproject city, and technical assistances to strengthen the capacities ofthe cities to adopt a comprehensive and integrated urban planning approach thatlinks physical development to long-term socio-economic strategies, climatechange adaptation, and disaster risk management plans.-VNA