The Ministry of Construction in collaboration with the Association of Vietnam Cities (ACVN), the Vietnam Association of Urban Planning and Development (VUPDA) and the Vietnam Urban Forum (VUF) organized the online conference to celebrate Vietnam Urban Day, with the theme “Urbanization in Vietnam responding to emerging challenges of climate change, natural disasters and epidemic” on November 8th. Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung chaired the conference.
Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung spoke at the Conference.
Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung said that since 2008, the Prime Minister has decided to make November 8th every year "Vietnam Urban Day" to honor cities and emphasized central role in creating the driving force for economic growth of urban areas nationwide.
The urbanization process of Vietnam has achieved many important results: the urbanization rate has reached about 40% up to now, with 870 urban areas distributed relatively across the country; promotion GDP growth and transformation growth models in the long term; promoting the development of science, technology, innovation, culture, arts, education, training and health care; creating a harmonious development among regions; contributing to solve agricultural and rural problems.
However, urban development in Vietnam has some difficulties: quality of urban areas has not been paid attention; technical infrastructure and social infrastructure are unsynchronized and overloaded; environmental pollution; inefficient use of natural resources and energy. In addition, the urban system of Vietnam is facing many new challenges from the impact of climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. These are posing many new problems in urban planning, construction and development.
The Vietnamese government has paid special attention to urban planning and development. The Prime Minister has approved and implemented many projects and programs for the period 2021–2030, including the Plan for Sustainable Smart City Development, and the Project on Developing Vietnam's Cities to Respond to Climate Change, National Urban upgrading plan. In the near future, the Politburo will issue a Resolution on "Urbanization, urban development and urban economic development in Vietnam to 2030, with a vision to 2045". From this Resolution, the Government will concretize policies on urban development and urban reconstruction and dedicate worthy resources to this work.
Delegates in the conference.
According to Deputy Minister Le Quang Hung, Vietnam needs to build an urban development model suitable to practical conditions, meeting the requirements of sustainable development.
At the conference, participants exchanged and discussed many contents: Issues facing Vietnam's economic and urban development in the post-Covid-19 period; urgent mechanisms and policies to promote construction investment in the period of 2021-2025 and prevention of natural disasters and epidemics of Hanoi city; solutions for urban reconstruction, disease prevention, economic, cultural and social development restoration of Ho Chi Minh city; urban development in Can Tho response to climate change; new rural construction associated with the process of urbanization...