The Ministry of Construction in coordination with the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and SECO organized a workshop on April 13 to launch the project.

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The project aims to strengthen the capacity of national and local institutions to implement innovative and participatory solutions for sustainable urban development in Vietnam. (Photo for illustration)

According to Dr. Nguyen Quang, UN-Habitat Program Manager in Vietnam, of the total funding for the 2020-2025 project, 3.8 million CHF will be managed by UN-Habitat while 450,000 CHF will be under the management of SECO.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of national and local institutions to promote, plan, and implement innovative and participatory solutions for sustainable urban development in Vietnam.

The project will be implemented over a period of five years by UN-Habitat in close coordination with the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and city governments.

Marcel Reymond, head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, said Vietnam’s socio-economic growth will only be maintained if there are measures to enhance the economic potential and competitiveness of urban areas and to improve the living standards of urban residents.

He expressed his belief that the project will bring about great socio-economic and environmental benefits, thus facilitating the transformation of sustainable development models in Vietnamese cities.

Vietnam is among countries with the most rapid urbanization rates in Southeast Asia, with the number of urban areas jumping from 480 to 830 between 1986 and 2019.

Source: VNA