Rapid Planning
This project is located in Da Nang. Its objective is to develop a rapid trans-sectoral urban-regional planning methodology with a focus on urban basic services, specifically targeting supply and disposal infrastructure. The service sectors covered by the project include energy, water, waste water, solid waste and urban agriculture. The methodology will help to address the city’s challenges in the following areas: integrated water resource management and climate change response; urban-rural linkages and promotion of value chains; energy efficiency and innovative technologies; eco system restoration and ecotourism; solid waste management and resource recovery; and coordination for multi-sector investment planning. For more information, click here.
- Duration: September 2014 -December 2019
- Value: USD 520,715
- Donor:German Federal Ministry for Education and Research(BMBF)
- Implementing Partners: Da Nang City
Support Community-Based, Participatory City Development Strategies in Seven Vietnam Cities (Cities Alliance) (2014-2016)
The project has been started by a kick off workshop, established the Qui Nhon and Tam Ky task force team and the inter-city coordination mechanism and among cities network.
One scoping mission in two cities has been undertaken to broadly identify the vision, expectation of city government for CDS and also their key issues and challenges. A number of workshops/seminar on green and smart and trainings to improve the capacity of local task force team, provincial departments and related stakeholders on how to mainstream the human and eco value with income generation into CDS has been taken place in Tam Ky, Quy Nhon.
Besides, the strategic framework with number of prioritized projects/programs have been formulated and shared with two cities to consult and identify the most priorities.
Low-income housing policy in Vietnam
UN-Habitat Vietnam plays an active role in providing technical assistance to the Vietnamese government, such as the Ministry of Construction (MoC) and the Agency of Housing and Real Estate Market Management. For low-income people, UN-Habitat had implemented a project during the 2009 - 2012 periods. With the goal of improving people’s housing condition, governmental agencies and other partners were supported to systematically analyse Vietnam’s housing sector, especially the Ministry of Construction was supported to formulate a pro-poor housing programme i.e. a Vietnam Housing Strategy. In terms of the housing policy-makers, UN-Habitat strengthened their capacity on issues related to the institutional and financial framework for low income housing provision and accessibility and improved their knowledge by providing a translated version into Vietnamese of the publication “Housing Policy Quick Guides for Policy-makers”. "Vietnam Housing Sector Profile" is a comprehensive publication which mentioned many elements of about housing sector in Vietnam and suggestion to improve it.
UN-Habitat Vietnam also worked with partners to organize training for trainers on housing topics to strengthen capacities for leaders and staff in different organization whose works related to housing sector.
Quang Nam Province Development Strategy In order to support Quang Nam Province to develop viable solutions for equitable and sustainable development, UN-Habitat has been cooperating closely with Quang Nam Province and other UN agencies (ILO, UNESCO, and FAO) to implement the Quang Nam Provincial Development Orientation in 2010 - 2012 which is sponsored by the One UN Fund.
The Quang Nam Province Development Orientation (PDO) includes 3 objectives; 1) strategic planning, 2) leadership development and stakeholder engagement, 3) and capacity building and co-production approaches. Firstly, strategic planning integrates issues of economic development, social equality, environmental sustainability, and local governance with the involvement of stakeholders in addition to develop a multi-sectoral investment plan to implement the PDO. To the next, Leaders and stakeholders are engaged in order to promote public administration reform to increase transparency and effectiveness of policy implementation. And for the promotion of ownership and commitment of local authorities, participatory planning and the appraisal of investment programmes are utilized to identify and prioritize projects, thereby mobilising and using resources effectively.
As a result, the Quang Nam Province Development Orientation has been improved to become the main socio-economic development planning orientation for Quang Nam Province until 2020 with a vision towards 2025.
Hoi An eco-city development and climate change vulnerability assessment
Quang Nam’s Hoi An City is a key provincial socio-economic centre as well as a popular World Heritage Site. However, the city is facing major challenges related to rapid economic growth, urbanisation, and the impacts of climate change. In response, the city is developing the Hoi An Eco-city Development Programme towards the year 2030. UN-Habitat has been working to facilitate the implementation of Hoi An’s eco-city goals within the framework of the Quang Nam Provincial Development Strategy. In tandem, a climate change vulnerability and adaptability assessment has been conducted and integrated into the overall eco-city planning framework. It provides an assessment of the potential impacts of climate change on different sectors, geographical areas and population groups.
Through strategic planning and a consultation process, the initial focus areas of the eco-city development programme included green buildings, promoting sustainable transportation, developing eco-tourism and environmental preservation projects, and managing urban economic growth in an equitable manner. The outcome of this project is that the capacity of the many stakeholders involved in the strategic planning process have been strengthened, while the priorities in improving local adaptive capacity have been identified, thereby creating better opportunities to mobilise resources required to realise the development of Vietnam’s first eco-city.
Under the project, Climate change Vulnerability and Adaptability Assessment for Hoi An City was also developed.
Urban observatory system in Vietnam Phase 1 [2009 - 2012]
Criteria and dimensions of global Millennium Development Goal (MDG) have been concretised in the Vietnam Development Goals (VDGs), for both urban and rural areas. Since 2009, UN-Habitat has developed the Vietnam Observatory System in order to evaluate the achievement of the MDGs and VDGs in Vietnam’s cities. These activities are conducted via an effective partnership with the Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN). This is an urban monitoring and assessment system based on the review of relevant MDGs/VDGs indicators and other urban indexes, to help monitor progress in poverty reduction, gender equality, and sustainable urban development in Vietnam.
Under the Vietnam Observatory System project, initial indicators of urban observatory system were established for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of VDGs in cities/towns in Vietnam, and for this, the priority needs and interventions were indentified and analysed. All this, as well as capacity of central and local governments was improved to use and analyse information for evidence-based decision-making process.
The project was piloted in three cities and then used data collected from 78 cities that are members of the Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN). After three years of implementation, the project has established a set of urban indicators for Vietnamese cities and has improved the capacity of government officials to monitor information on urban areas. The Vietnamese Cities Profile publication provided in-depth information and analysis about development trends in 78 cities in Vietnam, is also an important outcome of the project.
Strengthening Urban Observatory and Statistical Systems for Urban Evident-based Development Planning and Policies Phase 2 (2013 – 2016)
Green growth city development strategy (GG CDS)
At present, major cities around the world have identified the need to reassess current urban management practices and institutional frameworks, as well as to design solutions in order to deal with the challenges of rapid urbanisation, climate change, and economic growth. UN-Habitat and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) are currently collaborating with Da Nang city to develop the Green Growth-led City Development Strategy, which focuses on designing an appropriate investment framework. The project involves a multi-sectoral consultation approach, strengthening the commitment of local leaders and the participation of relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the project. Ultimately, the project aims to enhance the implementation of multi-sectoral investment planning (MSIP) and to establish the basis for a Green Growth-led Development investment framework. Quang Nam Green Growth Investment Forum which was successfully orgainised in June 2013 created a platform for investors to understand more about Quang Nam province, it's policy development and opportunities to invest here.
Through this project, UN-Habitat has supported to develop strategic planning framework, mainstream green growth principles and approaches into a City Development Strategy. It involves developing innovative solutions to effectively implement the CDS including policy instruments, knowledge management, and via the development of multi-sectoral partnerships. UN-Habitat also has identified key investment strategies which respond to development challenges and enhance the institutionalisation of multi-sectoral investment planning with the participation of key stakeholders, aiming to bring to life the Green Growth-Led City Development Strategies project. Green Growth-Led City Development Strategies has been reflected in Danang City Development Strategy which is the result of collaboration between UN-Habitat, GGGI and DISED (Danang Institue of social-economic development).
Leadership training on strategic urban planning [2012]
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and other Vietnamese agencies such as Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (HCMA), Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development (DISED), and the Ho Chi Minh Institute for Development Studies (HIDS), has implemented a leadership training project aimed at achieving environmentally sustainable and equitable development. The project focuses on training and policy analysis to improve green growth in urban areas, climate change adaptation, and implementing effective urban governance policies. Key activities are to review the master and socio-economic plans of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and to organise leadership training programmes for city leaders and planning professionals.
With the results from the reviews of master and development plans, analysis of PAPI (Public Administration Performance Index), and providing leadership training, city leaders will be better equipped with the leadership tools needed to address local challenges related to sustainable urban development. In addition, they will be able to apply strategic leadership skills to real-life challenges, and to create effective action plans for their organisations. The project successfully facilitated a collaborative space for key stakeholders, a key factor in implementing multi-sectoral development plans.
Mainstreaming multi-sectoral urban planning frameworks and governance through policy dialogues Phase 1 [2013-2014]The Vietnamese government has requested UN-Habitat to provide technical support to strengthen multi-sectoral urban strategic planning frameworks via facilitating policy dialogues and ongoing leadership training programmes. The project aims to promote multi-sectoral urban strategic planning by strengthening platforms and forums to enable inter-ministerial and inter-provincial cooperation on pressing urban issues, such as urban governance, urban finance, rural-urban migration, and urban legislation. With the institutionalisation of policy dialogues, spaces will be created for the active engagement of many actors, including representatives of central and local governmental agencies, private sector, communities and mass media.
"Urban Planning for City Leaders" training course was one of project activities which improved capacity of Hanoi and surrounding city leaders.
The Policy Dialogue "Right to Adequate Housing: Roles of Communities in Housing Process" was organised on May 2014 is an outstanding dialogue which attracted special attention from mass media and policy makers.
Mainstreaming Multi-sectoral Urban Planning Framework and Governance in Vietnam through Policy Dialogues Phase II (underway till 2016)
Strengthening urban observatory and statistical systems [2012-2016]UN-Habitat, in cooperation with UNFPA and other Vietnamese partners such as the General Statistics Office (GSO), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Urban Development Agency (UDA) and Ministry of Construction (MOC), aims to promote the evidence-based multi-sector master planning to respond to the requirements of the market economy. The Strengthening Urban Observatory and Statistical Systems project focuses on the following two aspects. The one is improving the quality of urban statistical information and data in Vietnam, especially on issues related to gender equality, infrastructure development, services, land use, and the environment. And the other one is enhancing the capacity of the General Statistic Office (GSO) and the Urban Development Agency (UDA) via urban indicator training courses to coordinate among Vietnamese policy-makers, researchers, and urban planning professionals around the use of urban statistical data for evidence-based planning frameworks and monitoring and evaluation.
The project will improve urban statistical databases in Vietnam by replacing them with more reliable, standardised databases. In addition, the project will develop a training programme with the aim to improve the knowledge and skills of the General Statistic Office (GSO), so that the office can better collect, disseminate, and make use of data for more practical urban development plans.
Water for Asian Cities (WAC) Programme and Mekong Region Water and Sanitation (MEK-WATSAN) InitiativeThe Water for Asian Cities Programme (WAC) is a collaborative initiative between the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and governments of Asian countries. WAC aims at supporting cities in completing water supply and environmental sanitation indicators in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
The Mekong Region Water and Sanitation (MEK-WATSAN) Initiative is a collaborative effort between UN-Habitat and the governments of the Mekong region to support the people in better accessing clean water supply and sanitation services by 2015.
Under the WAC Programme and MEK-WATSAN Initiative, UN-Habitat set objectives into the following four aspects. They are pro-poor urban water governance, urban water conservation and demand management, integrated urban environmental sanitation, and income generation for the urban poor through community based water and sanitation services.
From 2006 - 2009, WAC in Vietnam supported an ADB sponsored project on improving water supply and sanitation services for small and medium urban areas in central region such as Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), Gia Nghia (Dak Nong), Thap Cham and Ca Na (Ninh Thuan); Song Cau and Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen).
The MEK-WATSAN Programme was first implemented in the peri-urban and urban areas of four towns in Quang Tri Province; Lao Bao, Dong Ha, Quang Tri and Cua Viet in 2007. By the end of 2012, the project had provided water to 32,587 beneficiaries and improved sanitation facilities for 81,392 beneficiaries.