Closing Workshop Mekong urban flood resilience and drainage program

In Can Tho city, the Department of Technical Infrastructure - Ministry of Construction cooperated with the German Development Cooperation Organization (GIZ) and the Switzeland’s economic development cooperation (SECO) to organize a closing workshop on Mekong Urban flood resilience and drainage program on November 24^th. 

There were Director of Technical Infrastructure Department Mai Thi Lien Huong; Mr. Marcel Reymond - Head of Development Cooperation, National Director of Switzeland’s economic development cooperation (SECO) in Vietnam; Mr Tim McGrath - Director of FPP Program and representatives are leaders of Departments and Agencies under the Ministry of Construction, leaders of relevant departments, representatives of the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, representatives of GIZ at the Workshop.

Director of Technical Infrastructure Department Mai Thi Lien Huong skoke at the Workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Mai Thi Lien Huong said: “through research and evaluation of many domestic and international organizations and experts, Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by the climate change. In that context, from 2012 to 2020, the Department of Technical Infrastructure (Ministry of Construction) and GIZ have cooperated with eight provinces in the Central Coast and the Mekong Delta (Soc Trang, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ca Mau, An Giang and Kien Giang) to implement the FPP Program with funding from the German and Swiss governments. The Program’s objective is to reduce risks of urban flood, improve early warning systems and strengthen capacity to adapt to climate change in drainage management and flood resilience for state management agencies at central and levels and residents in the above 8 provinces.

The program has 6 main areas of: urban drainage planning and flood control to respond to climate change; sustainable urban storm water drainage; drainage service prices and implementation schedule; natural disaster prevention; linking the development of the Mekong River Delta region; land subsidence in the Mekong Delta.

The whole Workshop

The focus of each activity is to benefit for people, specifically: up to now, 6000 people in 3 cities of Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Long Xuyen are benefited from 3 projects under the pilot Sustainable Urban storm water drainage system (SUDs), helping to reduce urban flooding, enhancing environment sanitation and creating public landscape; 752000 people in the urban areas of Rach Gia, Long Xuyen and Camau are benefited from improving the quality of drainage services and preventing flooding through the drainage planning and the roadmap of local drainage service charges; 5,5 million people in 3 provinces Kien Giang, An Giang and Camau are benefited from increased capacity in disaster response, information chain on early warning and relocation plan in case of natural disasters; 17,2 million people in the Mekong Delta are benefited from increased early flood warning capacity. The Vietnamese people in general are benefited from disaster prevention policies and the use of foreign aid for natural disasters.

According to Ms. Mai Thi Lien Huong, in the coming time, the Ministry of Construction will continue to work with GIZ to make efforts in replicating the main results of the Program in all Mekong Delta provinces and cities of Vietnam.

In his speech to congratulate the Ministry of Construction and GIZ on important achievements in the coordinated implementation of the FPP Program, Mr. Marcel Reymond emphasized: The Swiss Government proud of the positive results of the Program, and would continue to support the next phase - Program to adapt to climate change in Mekong Delta cities. The next phase of the Program will be implemented from 2021 - 2025 with 3 components, including pilot activities on modeling, sponge city, green infrastructure in urban flood prevention.

Authorized by the Minister of Construction, Director of Technical Infrastructure Mai Thi Lien Huong awarded the Medal for the cause of construction to Mr. Marcel Reymond.

Authorized by the Minister of Construction, Director of Technical Infrastructure Mai Thi Lien Huong awarded the Medal for the cause of construction to Mr. Tim McGrath.

On this occasion, authorized by the Minister of Construction, Ms. Mai Thi Lien Huong presented the Medal for the cause of construction - the highest award of the Vietnamese construction industry to Mr. Marcel Reymond and Mr. Tim McGrath for their important contributions to the Vietnamese Construction industry. In addition, Mr. Marcel Reymond and Mr. Tim McGrath were also presented the Certificate from the Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee; Mr Tim McGrath was personally awarded the Medal for the Cause of Water supply and sewerage of Vietnam water supply and sewerage association.

Delegates took a photo at the Workshop