Department of Technical Infrastructure (Ministry of Construction), HealthBridge organization (Canada) and World Resources Insitute (USA) co-organized online workshop on green, safe and sustainable urban Infrastructure Development and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation betwee three parties. Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mai Thi Lien Huong - Director of the Department of Technical Infrastructure (Ministry of Construction) chaired the workshop.
Ms. Kristie Danielle - Director of the Well Living Cities Program, HealthBridge Canada organization (online from Toronto, Canada); Ms. Nguyen Thi An - Country Director of HealthBridge in Vietnam; Ms. Li Fang - Country Director of World Resources Insitute (in charge of operation in East Asia and Southeast Asia, online from Beijing, China); leaders of units under the Ministry of Construction, experts of construction associations attended the online workshop.
Director of Technical Infrastructure Department Mai Thi Lien Huong and Ms. Nguyen Thi An - Country Director of HealthBridge organization in Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding
Ms Mai Thi Lien Huong said that: “Vietnam has 870 urban areas of all kinds; the national urbanization rate is approximately 40.4%. The process of rapid urbanization along with the impact of climate change has had a significant impact on people's quality of life and sustainable urban development. Therefore, building, management and development green, safer and sustainable urban infrastructure for cities is important”.
The Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1658/QD-TTg on October 1st approving the National Strategy on Green Growth in the 2021 - 2030 periods, with a vision to 2050, to identify the development of green and smart urban infrastructure system as one of the important contents; and The Ministry of Construction was assigned to perform this task.
Department of Technical Infrastructure (Ministry of Construction) with the function to manage in the field of technical infrastructure, including: water supply and drainage, urban traffic, parks - trees, underground works… has urgently researched and synthesized relevant domestic and foreign documents, and actively worked with experienced international organizations in the field of smart and green urban infrastructure in order to approach and learn international experience in deploying and applying effectively in Vietnam in all aspects: policy, planning, management experience, science and technology, finance and human.
The concept of "green infrastructure" is popular in developed countries, but still unpopular in Vietnam as well as in many other developing countries. Therefore, leading experts of HealthBridge and World Resources Institute with the capacity and experience in managing urban environmental issues, resources, green spaces and green infrastructure development will share and support Vietnam to well perform tasks related to the development of a green, safe and sustainable urban infrastructure system, contributing to the realization of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
The whole Conference
At the workshop, local experts and HealthBridge organization, World Resources Insitute presented many presentations on the current status of orientation for green, safe and sustainable urban infrastructure development in Vietnam; development green park infrastructure and safe urban traffic towards the realization of sustainable development goals; practical experience in developing green parks in some big cities of Vietnam; access safely to the green public transport system in Ho Chi Minh City; initiatives to develop green parks and urban transport safely and sustainably. Experts and participants at the workshop discussed and agreed that green infrastructure development was very important for sustainable urban development and contributed to promote economic – social sustainability in each country.
On same day, Department of Technical Infrastructure, HealthBridge Organization and World Resources Insitute jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in order to enhance coordination and support between the parties in the implementation of related contents to the development of green and smart urban infrastructure in Vietnam.