Riverside houses in Cái Vồn Ward, Bình Minh Town in the southern province of Vĩnh Long. — Photo baodautu.vn

VĨNH LONG — The World Bank (WB)-funded Urban Development and Enhanced Climate Resilience Project will be implemented to improve access to infrastructure and connectivity and to reduce flood risk in the urban core of Vĩnh Long City in the Mekong Delta province of Vĩnh Long.

Speaking at the launch of the project on Tuesday, Hoàng Thị Hoa, Senior Urban Specialist at the World Bank in Việt Nam, said Vĩnh Long City which strategically located along the economic corridor that connects HCM City and the Mekong Delta, has great potential to become a regional hub for agribusiness, trade, and tourism.

However, flooding and poor environmental sanitation are major problems holding back the city’s development, she said, adding that as it is located at a low elevation on the Tiền River plain, about 60 per cent of the city is prone to flooding.

The Vĩnh Long project will help remove physical constraints to development in the urban core area through the flood control systems, drainage, wastewater collection and treatment, and investment in key roads.

Strengthening urban infrastructure is key to Vĩnh Long’s ability to unlock its potential, safeguard its gains and withstand multiple shocks from climate change, Hoa said.

It has a total investment of US$202.2 million, including $126.9 million worth of credit provided by WB and $19.5 million as non-refundable grant from the Dutch Government. Nearly half of the project’s funding will be used to develop flood risk mitigation measures, including embankments and tidal sluice gates, rehabilitation and upgrades of the canal and drainage system, and investments in green infrastructure. The project will also support the building of three strategic roads that will improve the inter-city connectivity and further enhance the city’s flood protection capacity.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lữ Quang Ngời said the project will contribute to boosting the province’s development in the coming time and transforming Vĩnh Long City into a second-class city. — VNS