HÀ NỘI — About 1.1 million residents of central coastal cities are expected to benefit from a World Bank project to provide better sanitation services and better transport infrastructure in the region, according to the bank.

The funding for the Vietnam Coastal Cities Sustainable Environment Project, worth $236 million, was approved last week by the bank’s Board of Executive Directors, with $190 million coming from the International Development Association and $46 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The project will focus on areas such as flood reduction, drainage and wastewater collection networks, wastewater treatment plants, school sanitation and public toilets in the coastal cities of Đồng Hới (Quảng Bình Province), Quy Nhơn (Bình Định Province) Nha Trang (Khánh Hòa Province) and Phan Rang-Tháp Chàm (Ninh Thuận province).

It also aims at improving roads and bridges in the cities to strengthen connectivity and ease traffic jams.

The international financial institution also approved another $78.74 million to improve water transport infrastructure in northern Ninh Bình Province.

The money is to finance the construction of a canal to connect the Đáy and Ninh Cơ rivers with a navigational lock to improve freight vessel access to Ninh Phúc Port, the main inland waterway port in the province and northern Việt Nam.

The construction of the new canal will complete a through-corridor for vessels between the estuary of the Ninh Cơ River and Ninh Phúc Port, which will enable round-the-clock waterway access to vessels up to 3,000 tonnes in capacity. — VNS