WB approves US$202.5 mil to upgrade Da Nang infrastructure

The credit is being provided under the Da Nang Sustainable City Development Project to help improve the city’s drainage systems, wastewater collection and treatment services, arterial roads and public transportation.

The project aims to expand and upgrade thepublic transport system and provide better access to sanitation facilities for most city residents, especially women, the elderly and other vulnerable populations. It will also make the city more attractive and friendly to investors and tourists through better infrastructure and urban management.

World Bank Country Director for Vietnam Victoria Kwakwasaid she hopes that the project will create a good model for a “green city” and sustainable urban development to inspire similar development in other cities across Vietnam. She added that the strong leadership of the Da Nang People's Committee to promote the concept of green urban development, accelerate quick decision making andsupport close monitoring will ensure the project’s smooth implementation so Da Nang residents can enjoy the advanced infrastructure of a sustainable city.

The project creditcomes from the International Development Association, the WB’s fund allocated for the poorest countries. It will be used for the project’s five components, including improving drainage and wastewater systems, developing a rapid transit bus system, improving strategic urban roads, capacity building for city authorities in managing urban infrastructure,and completingmajor infrastructure sub-projects initiated by the Da Nang Priority Infrastructure Investment Project.

Da Nang is Vietnam’s fourth largest city and is widely regarded as a being well-planned and well- governed, with a higher quality of infrastructure compared to other cities in the Country. Municipal leaders have committed to developing Da Nang into a “green” city by 2025, with an emphasis on high-tech industries and tourism.