Promoting sustainable cooperation with KOICA

Over the past 15 years of establishment, Buon Ho town has made efforts to invest in developing technical infrastructure systems to ensure the criteria of a type IV urban area and gradually achieve the criteria of a type III urban area. However, the support budget from all levels and the local budget are still limited, so the investment in construction of works has not been guaranteed according to the set plan.

Currently, the town does not have a wastewater drainage system, so the domestic wastewater of households, agencies and organizations in the inner city is mainly discharged into septic tanks, self-permeable wells, discharged into the rainwater drainage system, discharged directly into streams or gardens and discharged directly onto the streets. Business, commercial and service establishments have to use a lot of water, so they also face many difficulties in discharging and treating wastewater. The main reason is that the permeable tanks do not have enough capacity, leading to washing water being poured directly onto the streets and the discharge pipes connecting directly to the rainwater system.

Representatives of the two sides signed the minutes of cooperation discussion.

From that reality, with the attention of the Provincial People's Committee, the coordination of relevant departments and branches, the People's Committee of Buon Ho town proposed the urban drainage and wastewater treatment system project phase 1 with KOICA to call for non-refundable ODA capital. According to the project, the People's Committee of Buon Ho town proposed to build a wastewater collection system separate from the rainwater drainage system in the central areas of the town, including wards: Dat Hieu, An Binh, An Lac, Thong Nhat and Thien An; build a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 1,500 m3/day and night, a 29.5 km long sanitary drainage pipe, drainage connection for 2,900 households and 6 pumping stations in the area... Careful surveys in the area, objective exchanges and consultations have been helping the two sides agree on an effective cooperation plan.

Recently, the People's Committee of Dak Lak province and KOICA Vietnam held a signing ceremony of the minutes of discussion on the Urban Drainage and Wastewater Treatment System Project in Buon Ho town. Accordingly, the Korean Government will provide non-refundable aid of no more than 9.2 million USD (11 billion 960 million KRW) and the Vietnamese Government will match 760,000 USD for the project. The two sides expect that when the project comes into operation, it will contribute to minimizing negative impacts on the water, soil and air environments when discharging untreated wastewater into the environment; minimizing infectious diseases caused by environmental pollution. Thereby improving people's living conditions, contributing to improving the health and quality of life for beneficiaries.

“Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee commits to closely coordinate with KOICA Vietnam to implement the project on schedule, ensuring quality and efficiency in accordance with current regulations as well as the terms of reference agreed upon by both parties.”

Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thien Van

Mr. Lee Byung Hwa, Director of KOICA in Vietnam said: "KOICA conducted a preliminary survey in January 2024 and received official approval from the Korean Government . Based on that result, we conducted the survey and made a plan in January 2025 and today, we can officially sign the discussion minutes, move towards making a detailed implementation plan and start implementing the project."

The signing ceremony of the minutes of discussion is a testament to the extensive cooperation between Vietnam and Korea in infrastructure development projects. KOICA’s support not only demonstrates Korea’s commitment to contributing to Vietnam’s sustainable development but also reflects the transfer of modern technology and valuable experience in building wastewater treatment systems and environmental protection.

Project diagram expected to be built in Buon Ho town, Dak Lak province. ( Photo provided by project)

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thien Van, in 2017, Dak Lak province established an official cooperative relationship with Jeonbuk province (South Korea), gradually expanding trade promotion activities and labor cooperation with many other localities of South Korea; in that cooperation picture, KOICA stands out as an important bright spot.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202504/thuc-day-hop-tac-ben-vung-voi-koica-a9612cc/