Vietnam-France forum focuses on planning suburban areas

March 20, 2012 | 08:28

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Vietnam is urbanizing faster than any other country in Southeast Asia with the number of urban residents increasing from 19 per cent (11.8 million) in 1986 to 30.5 per cent (26.3 million) in 2010, according to the World Bank (WB).

The 9th France-Vietnam Economic and Financial Forum on “Sustainable Development of Suburban Areas in Vietnam” opened in Hanoi on March 19 in the presence of Deputy Prime Minster Hoang Trung Hai and French ambassador to Vietnam, Jean Francois Girault.

In his speech, Deputy PM Hai said the practical theme of the forum is one of the top concerns of urban administrations in developing countries, including Vietnam.

Urbanization is a trend and an objective criteria for defining which nations fall into the categories of “developed” and “developing” countries, said Mr Hai.

There are currently 755 urban areas in Vietnam including the two major ones - Hanoi and HCM City.

Like other developing countries, peripheral areas in Vietnam are facing challenges due to the high urban population along with poor technical and social infrastructure, which fails to meet transportation demands for both passengers and goods. In addition to urbanization, the waste and inefficient use of land has reduced agricultural areas, causing the disappearance of traditional craft villages and widening the gap in the quality of life between urban and outlying areas.

As a nation that experienced rapid urbanization in the 1950s and 1960s, the France has been successful in establishing institutional measures to develop both urban and rural areas sustainably and harmoniously.

Vietnam hopes to learn from France’s hands-on experiences in order to devise solutions, management mechanisms and policies for developing sustainable suburban areas, said Deputy PM Hai.

The ongoing forum will wrap up on March 20.

VOV

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