On Wednesday, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Van Mien played host to a group of experts from the World Bank (WB), led by Mr Alwaleed Alatabani, the Lead Financial Sector Specialist at the WB in Viet Nam.

Mr Alwaleed Alatabani (left) and Vice Chairman Mien

Vice Chairman Mien underlined the WB’s active support to ensure the building of Da Nang’s synchronous infrastructure, including the traffic system.

The city leader remarked, “Since 2003, the WB has become a strategic partner of Da Nang and has helped it to reach its socio-economic targets.  In addition, thousands of local residents have benefited from the city’s Sustainable Development Project which has been supported by the WB.  Moreover, assistance has been given to the city to help it access an environmental-friendly traffic system and enhance the management capacity of transportation and wastewater treatment services”.

The host said, “Over recent years, Da Nang has experienced numerous natural disasters.  As a result, it has faced various obstacles in helping local residents to overcome the aftermaths, and ensure the progress of local urban construction works.  In attempting to solve the problems, the city authorities have set up financial reserves to better cope with large-scale natural disasters that might occur”.

Mr Mien said he would like WB to assist his city to develop suitable financial solutions to reduce the risks of natural disasters and to enhance its disaster risk management capacity. 

In reply, Mr Alwaleed Alatabani said that Da Nang is one of 3 Vietnamese localities which have been selected by the WB to implement a pilot model of disaster risk assessments.  He also highlighted the significant of such a model in helping Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole, to ensure the better assessment of natural disaster risks and to develop better financial plans for coping with any consequences of disasters.

The visiting guest pledged that the WB would conduct more research into the city’s demands on financial solutions for natural disaster risks in order to provide more support to the city.