Being selected as a pilot city for the implementation of a sustainable urban cooling project for cities in Vietnam opens up more avenues for Tam Ky to move towards a green city that adapts to climate change.
Pilot project in Tam Ky
The project "Implementing Effective and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Urban Areas in Vietnam" is being piloted in Tam Ky. This creates an opportunity for the provincial capital of Quang Nam to manage effectively, a crucial element in creating a sustainable city that is resilient and adaptable to the challenges posed by extreme heat.
The "Tam Ky cooling" project is compatible with many of the macro policies that Quang Nam province is pursuing, including: the Quang Nam provincial planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; the Quang Nam green growth action plan for the period 2023-2030, with a vision to 2050; the Quang Nam climate change response action plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; and the energy saving and efficiency plan for Quang Nam province for the period 2020-2025…
According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Tu, an officer from the Department of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Ozone Layer Protection (Climate Change Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), in component 1 of the project, specialized units will analyze the urban heat island model, analyze the variation of temperature/thermal comfort on a city-wide scale, identify high-risk areas for heat, forecast future UHI and heat waves, assess potential measures, and develop an urban cooling plan for Tam Ky City.
In the first quarter of 2024, the project will complete the list of potential investment projects for sustainable cooling in Tam Ky City and select one pilot project for the construction of a pre-feasibility study.
Potential "project clusters" for cooling Tam Ky City have been initially identified as: cooling projects for residential areas, urban areas, and commercial and public buildings.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), potential research projects for pilot projects in Tam Ky include: the traditional center area of An My ward and An Xuan ward; Tra Cai hill and Truong Xuan ward; An Phu urban area (The Trident City); Ban Thach hotel, Viet Quang Company's food cold storage facility, and paper product manufacturing by Hong Dao Chu Lai Joint Stock Company…
Ms. Le Thuy Trinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, believes that participating in projects to create efficient and climate-friendly cooling systems in urban areas of Vietnam is an opportunity for Tam Ky City in particular and Quang Nam province in general to control the use and consumption of electricity. This will enable them to develop plans to reduce electricity consumption, enhance cooling capacity through passive cooling methods for buildings, increase green space, and create green areas for the city…
The project "Implementing effective and climate-friendly cooling in urban areas of Vietnam, piloted in Tam Ky City" is part of the Sustainable Cooling Cooperation Program implemented through UNEP and GGGI.
After nearly a year of implementation in Tam Ky, consulting experts have conducted surveys to collect relevant information and data, and measured temperature levels at several locations throughout Tam Ky City to develop an action plan for cooling the urban area. The project consists of three components, and Tam Ky City is one of only two cities nationwide currently piloting component 1.
Towards climate change-resilient cities
In 2022, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province issued an Action Plan to implement Program No. 16 of the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee on implementing Resolution No. 06 of the Politburo on urban planning, construction, management and development in Vietnam until 2030, with a vision to 2030 and 2045. The plan aims to develop Tam Ky provincial capital to essentially meet the criteria of a type 1 urban area by 2025.
Tam Ky is being developed as the commercial and service center of the southern part of the province and the center of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone. The city aims to attract investment in services and industry, while strengthening its infrastructure. The goal is for all new industrial facilities to adopt clean technologies.
Recently, Tam Ky invested over 2.6 billion VND in an automated control system. This system reduces lighting power at night when traffic density decreases.
Broken lights are gradually being replaced with LEDs or other energy-efficient lights, reducing annual electricity consumption for public lighting by 40%, equivalent to a saving of 1.7 million kWh/year.
Dr. Ngo Hoang Ngoc Dung, a technical expert from the United Nations Environment Programme, recommends that the current central urban area of Tam Ky should continue to increase shaded areas, implement nature-based solutions such as maintaining the network of water bodies and increasing the number of tall, dense trees to shade streets, and promote the use of reflective and light-colored roofing materials in construction projects.
According to Ms. Nguyen Minh Hue, a consultant at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), policies, institutional arrangements, and finance are the biggest factors impacting the implementation of urban cooling in Tam Ky. The current situation presents both challenges and opportunities for Tam Ky.
Accordingly, policies are needed to provide more space for community flexibility and adaptability; to offer innovative solutions to respond to emergencies; and to promote the development of new financial mechanisms and mobilize capital from the private sector...
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