The Cái Khế lock and tidal barrier system, part of Project 3, has been completed and put into operation, effectively mitigating urban flooding caused by high tides.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, every year during high tides, many areas in Can Tho City are flooded to a depth of 0.3m to 1m (depending on the area and time). In recent years, the flooding situation in the city has become increasingly serious, widespread, frequent, and prolonged, causing significant disruptions to many economic and social activities, especially transportation, business, education, agricultural production, environmental sanitation, and urban landscape. To mitigate this situation, Can Tho City has implemented the Can Tho City Development and Urban Resilience Enhancement Project according to Decision No. 27/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. To date, the project has been completed and is proving effective.
Mr. Huynh Van Hien, residing in Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, stated: “As residents living in the central area of Can Tho City, directly benefiting from this project, we are very happy and excited. The construction of the Can Tho river embankment system, bridges, and roads contributes to the completion of infrastructure and urban beautification of the city. In particular, the completed and operational lock system and tidal barrier, part of the project, have put an end to flooding, wading through water, and vehicle breakdowns during high tides. We sincerely hope this project will be expanded to other districts and communes (besides Ninh Kieu) so that the city's residents can also benefit from it.”
The Can Tho City Development and Urban Resilience Enhancement Project (Project 3) has a total investment of nearly VND 9,200 billion (equivalent to over USD 402 million). Of this, over VND 5,697 billion (over 62%) is from a World Bank loan, USD 10 million is from a non-refundable grant from the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, and over VND 3,378 billion is from domestic counterpart funding. The project will be implemented from 2016 to 2024. Its objectives are to protect the core urban area of Can Tho City from prolonged flooding and to promote safe and environmentally friendly urban development.
Mr. Bui Thai Thuong, Director of the Management Board of Official Development Assistance (ODA) Projects in Can Tho City, said that by the end of June 2024 (the disbursement deadline), the project had disbursed more than 7,587 billion VND, equivalent to more than 82% of the total project volume. The project achieved and exceeded four objectives, including helping approximately 2,675 hectares, benefiting over 442,600 people in the urban core (Ninh Kieu district), to escape flooding thanks to embankments, tidal barriers, and pumping stations, such as: 5.2km of embankments along the Can Tho River and Khai Luong River; 10 tidal barriers and 2 locks, including the Cai Khe and Hang Bang locks which have just been completed; The drainage system for 32 inner-city roads was renovated, exceeding the set target by 28%, and the automated control and real-time monitoring system based on SCADA technology allows for flexible operation of sluice gates and pumps.
Through Project 3, Can Tho City also invested in the construction of key urban transport routes to orient development towards higher and safer areas; at the same time, improving the daily commuting capacity of people, including completing unit 2 of Quang Trung Bridge (and renovating unit 1); completing Tran Hoang Na Bridge; building and upgrading 5.3km of roads including important connecting routes from Cach Mang Thang 8 Street to Provincial Road 918, contributing to reducing traffic congestion and opening up low-risk development corridors.
Recently, during a meeting with the People's Committee of Can Tho City regarding Project 3 and discussions on opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the World Bank, the Swiss Government, and Can Tho City in the future, Ms. Mariam J. Sherman, World Bank Country Director in Vietnam, requested Can Tho City to ensure the sustainable operation of Project 3, contributing to the promotion of local socio-economic development, and to replicate the project's experience in other localities. If given the opportunity, Can Tho could showcase and share its implementation process and successes of Project 3 with other cities in Vietnam so that other localities can learn from and share experiences from Can Tho.
According to the World Bank Country Director in Vietnam, the World Bank has not only provided funding but also offered technical expertise worldwide through its partners. Regarding Project 4 – the Can Tho City Expansion and Resilience Enhancement Project – Ms. Mariam J. Sherman stated that the project is currently in the preparation phase and the World Bank hopes to continue supporting Can Tho City in implementing the project in the future.
Also at the meeting, Mr. Thomas Gass, the Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam, stated that the project not only helps Can Tho develop its infrastructure and better combat flooding, but also aims towards smart city development in the future, managing water resources, flood risk management, and climate change mitigation. Through this, it contributes to the sustainable development of Can Tho City in the face of climate change impacts and its response actions.
Mr. Thomas Gass also added that during his field trip to the Mekong Delta, he realized the complexity of water resource management in the region. The investments in Project 3 not only help protect the urban core of Can Tho City but also help retain freshwater for the Mekong Delta through smart technologies. This project needs to be expanded in the future.
On behalf of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien expressed sincere gratitude to Mr. Thomas Gass, Ms. Mariam J. Sherman, and the World Bank's working group and experts for their support in implementing the project. The project on developing Can Tho City and enhancing urban resilience has contributed to improving the environment, developing technical infrastructure, responding to climate change, maximizing the city's potential, and helping Can Tho become a centrally-governed city, a regional center of the Mekong Delta, with sustainable development, in line with World Bank criteria…
Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City People's Committee, Nguyen Thuc Hien, also stated that the city will develop a plan to train staff to operate the technologies of Project 3 most effectively. He also expressed his hope that the World Bank and the Swiss Government, organizations, and businesses will continue to pay attention to and support the city in implementing future climate change response projects, especially Project 4 – the project to expand the development of Can Tho City and enhance urban resilience to other districts and communes of Can Tho City…
Text and photos: HA VAN
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tp-can-tho-phat-huy-du-an-chong-ngap-sat-lo-a185226.html
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