Green infrastructure the future of urban flood risk management

Effective planning and construction management are vital to minimizing the impact of natural disasters and reducing disaster risks. Hanoi should prioritize the climate resilience factor in its construction planning for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, according to Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association for Urban Planning and Development. Climate change becomes an urgent matter A corner of Hanoi. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times Hanoi's residents have become familiar with climate change in recent years, as unusual weather patterns have greatly affected the city's environment and daily life. Even a little rain can cause flooding on many streets, while prolonged heat waves can seriously harm the elderly and children in hospitals. According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, a transition from La Nina (the cool phase) to El Nino (the warm phase) is expected in 2023. It means that the heat will become … [Read more...] about Hanoi should prioritize climate resilience in urban development: Experts

Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son said Da Lat's infrastructure system is strained and it urgently needs to share the load with other urban centers. Da Lat should not be concretized further and should not add more high-rise buildings, said Son, who has spent years studying the city’s urban planning. The government should divert construction projects to satellite areas, he added. "Green spaces should be returned to the Da Lat center," said Son. Houses in the center of Da Lat, February 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan A plan approved recently by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh aims for Da Lat to encompass a total area of 335,000 hectares by 2045, from the current 39,400 hectares. Da Lat will soon encompass the Lac Duong, Don Duong, Duc Trong and Lam Ha districts to the north, south, east and west. All four districts are currently home to vast spaces of forest land. According to the plan, the existing town of Da Lat will be the center of six "satellite towns." Each … [Read more...] about Expansion plan should return green spaces to Da Lat: experts

A view of Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong Province. — Photo VNA The southern province of Binh Duong should shift its development model to industry-urban-smart services to help investors quickly deploy the smart factory model and smart production in the locality. Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai delivered this statement during the "Start-up-Connection-New Development" conference held in the province on Saturday. In the long run, the province's development model should be associated with science-technology and innovation to facilitate the establishment of a new ecosystem by the requirements of new investors and employees, contribute to increasing the provincial labour productivity and helping it participate deeply in the industrial value chain, Khai said. He also asked Binh Duong to ensure its rapid, comprehensive, and sustainable development with top priority to ensure synchronous development of social, healthcare and educational infrastructure, … [Read more...] about Binh Duong urged to shift its development model to industry-urban-smart services

Speakers at a conference on digital transformation – Faster, Smarter, and Greener held in Hanoi. (Photo courtesy of VIR) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Digital transformation is considered a catalyst for many businesses to transform and adapt to green and sustainable models. Recently, dual transformation (green and digital) has been mentioned by the European Union and is an important future trend. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong made the statement at a conference on digital transformation – Faster, Smarter, and Greener held in Hanoi on March 21. The National Digital Transformation Programme for 2025, with a vision to 2030, emphasised three main focus points, including digital government , digital economy, and digital society . According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, in 2022, the total revenue of Vietnam's IT and telecommunications (ICT) industry reached about 148 billion USD, and the digital economy reached 14.26% of GDP. To … [Read more...] about Digital transformation – a catalyst for green and sustainable models

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang speaking at the Viet Nam Connect Forum on green growth and digital transition for central and central highlands region. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Economic Times The central and Central Highlands region has been designated as one of the areas for fast economic and sustainable development, along with remarkable climate change resilience. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang spoke at the Viet Nam Connect Forum – Breakthroughs for central Viet Nam – in the central city on March 17, emphasising that the region plays a crucial role in promoting rapid and sustainable growth. “The region needs to adopt green growth in agriculture, forestry, processing industries, the blue sea economy and tourism,” Quang said. “By 2045, the region should become the largest centre of high-tech industries, services and international cooperation in Asia. Drastic breakthroughs are necessary in the action plans of the provinces in the region to achieve sustainable … [Read more...] about Central region to go ‘green’ amid digital transition

The country should have a high level of urbanization comparable to ASEAN and Asia by 2045. Vietnam aims to have at least five cities of international caliber to serve as locomotives for regional and international development networks by 2045, according to an action plan released by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) recently. Under the action plan, the ministry will execute two resolutions, one by Politburo and the other by the Government, on the sustainable development, management, and construction of urban areas in Vietnam by 2030 with a vision for 2045. Hanoi from above. Photo: Huu Thang The country plans to build a high level of urbanization comparable to ASEAN and Asia by 2045. The urban system would be integrated, balanced, and sensitive to climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics, while promoting environmental protection and distinctively modern architecture with green and smart elements, according to the action plan. Other key targets … [Read more...] about Vietnam aims for five international-standard cities by 2045

Delegates to the workshop (Photo: VNA) Hoa Binh (VNA) – Impact-based forecasting and warning information plays a very important role, contributing to disaster damage reduction and socio-economic development, experts said at an international workshop in the northern province of Hoa Binh on March 22. Deputy head of the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (VNMHA) Hoang Duc Cuong said that the workshop, jointly held by the VNMHA and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in response to the World Meteorological Day (March 23), will provide international experiences on forecasting and warning based on practical impacts in the world and Vietnam, contributing to forming processes and measures to effectively forecast disaster impacts in Vietnam at present and in future. At the workshop, the ADPC guided participants on how to build an impact matrix of storms and floods. Participants also discussed the role of disaster forecasting and warning, and … [Read more...] about Workshop highlights importance of impact-based disaster forecasting

As part of the draft national Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), Vietnam plans to generate 7GW offshore wind capacity by 2030, but the lack of an official strategy is hindering progress. At a conference organised by the Central Economic Committee last week, Mark Hutchinson, chairman of the Southeast Asia Task Force, said, “7GW of offshore wind is crucial for Vietnam for its net-zero goal and for the country’s long-term energy security. Our message has been the same for years – a clearly defined route to the market is needed.” He said that offshore wind deployment was in its early stages and the deployment of the country’s 4GW of offshore wind was not driven by a direct auction mechanism but instead arranged at a time when clear policy measures were not in place. Thus, he called for accelerating a large-scale pilot or mechanism that covers a certain volume of the target, to bypass obstacles and fast track wind power. “There are now two main options: an accelerating mechanism such … [Read more...] about No time to waste in building the offshore wind industry

A group of solar power ventures that did not make the 2021 feed-in tariff deadline remain idle and developers want fresh solutions Nearly 40 renewable power investors last week asked the prime minister to consider addressing pricing-related inadequacies in renewables development. The joint letter said that the impact of the pandemic and expiry of the country’s previous feed-in tariffs (FiTs) has resulted in 84 renewable power projects, with total capacity of some 4,600MW, falling behind schedule and failing to achieve commercial operation. Among these, 28 wind farms and six solar farms with the combined capacity of more than 2,000MW, which have cost an estimated $3.6 billion are eligible to connect to the national power grid, are still waiting for a suitable pricing mechanism. Six solar power ventures have been waiting for such a mechanism for over two years. The developers last week expressed concerns that they may go bankrupt as the government’s latest pricing band fix are … [Read more...] about Pricing structure not enough to clinch nation’s energy goals

Great minds from around the world have a wealth of knowledge and want Vietnam to be a digital pioneer, Photo: Cuong Minh At VIR’s forum on digital transformation on March 21, Do Tien Thinh, deputy director of the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC), said that it is crucial to support innovation and help businesses achieve their emission reduction goals. “While technology groups seek to expand their customer base and provide tech solutions, local businesses require digital transformation and innovation,” Thinh said. “In response, the NIC acts as a mediator, connecting private sector businesses with technology solution providers to provide training for human resources in digital transformation and innovation.” The NIC has already collaborated with the likes of Siemens, Google, and Hitachi to implement innovation support programmes at factories. A very visible area of green digital transformation has been in manufacturing, with factories constantly seeking new approaches … [Read more...] about Greener, faster, smarter digital plans