PANO - The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a US$ 202.5 million credit to support the sustainable development of Da Nang City, Vietnam.

Provided under the Da Nang Sustainable City Development Project, the credit will help expand access of city residents to improved drainage, wastewater collection and treatment services, the arterial road network, and public transport in selected areas of Da Nang City.

These activities will provide an expanded, improved public transport system, and improved sanitation to most of the city dwellers, including women, elderly citizens and other vulnerable populations. It will also contribute to making the city friendlier to investors and tourists through better infrastructure services and urban management capacity.

“We hope that this project will help create a model “green city” for sustainable urban development, which will inspire the development of other cities,” said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam. “We hope that the strong ownership of the Da Nang People's Committee of the concept of green urban development, quick decision making and, close monitoring, will ensure the smooth implementation of this new project so that Da Nang residents will enjoy the advanced infrastructure services of a sustainable city.”

The credit comes from the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest. It will be provided for five components, including improvement of drainage and wastewater systems; development of a Bus Rapid Transit system; improvement of urban strategic roads; capacity building for city authorities on urban infrastructure management; and completion of some major infrastructure sub-projects initiated under the Da Nang Priority Infrastructure Investment Project.

Da Nang is the fourth largest city in Vietnam, and is widely regarded as a well-planned and well- governed city, with a generally higher quality of infrastructure compared to other cities. City leaders have committed to developing the city into a “green” city by 2025, with an emphasis on high tech and tourism development.

Viet Anh