As part of a cooperation programme about Da Nang’s sustainable development, the 4^th Da Nang Urban Development Forum took place in the city on Wednesday. The event was jointly organised by the municipal People’s Committee (PC), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the authorities of Japan’s Yokohama City.

JICA’s study team leader, Mr Shizuo Iwata, said that Da Nang’s sustainable development programme is aiming to help the city increase its population from 1 million to 3 million in a sustainable manner.  He also highlighted the vital role of the programme in building Da Nang into a key economic hub in the central region, with unique cultural characteristics and the capability to compete with its foreign rivals.

An overview of the 2nd Da Nang Urban Development Forum on 13 May

In an attempt to develop Da Nang into an environmentally-friendly city, the Japanese team leader stressed the need for the city to ensure closer links with other regional localities and enhance its investment climate to attract more foreign direct investment.  Importance should also be attached to appealing for more investment into local creative industries, and ensuring the city’s adaptation into the recently-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Mr Shizuo Iwata suggested that the city should also focus on developing short and long-term plans for the implementation of local urbanisation progress and its priority projects, enhancing its natural disaster mitigation capacity, and protecting the local environment.

The Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, Mr Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, took the opportunity to ask JICA and the Yokohama City authorities to give more financial and technical assistance to his city to ensure the effective implementation of some local key projects.  These include the construction of Lien Chieu Port and Hoa Lien Commune water supply plant, the replacement of water pumps at the Red Bridge water supply plant, and the building of a wastewater treatment plant.