HCMC – The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance and the Government of the Netherlands have reached an agreement in which the Netherlands will grant US$19.5 million to build a water treatment plant in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long.
The project will be funded through the Dutch Government’s Development Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle (DRIVE), implemented by the Committee for Management of Official Development Assistance Projects of Vinh Long Province and monitored by Invest International.
This DRIVE Grant Arrangement was signed by Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Elsbeth Akkerman and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha.
The water treatment plant is a component of the wider Vinh Long Urban Development and Enhanced Climate Resilience Project worth more than US$202 million, aimed at improving access to infrastructure and connectivity and reducing flood risks in Vinh Long City, the capital town of Vinh Long Province.
The project comprises flood risk management and environmental sanitation, flood risk mitigation and urban drainage, wastewater collection and treatment, and the development of strategic corridors and resettlement areas.
Akkerman said the two countries are committed to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and public and private interests often coincide in that pursuit.
The project aligns with the Strategic Partnership Agreement on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management between the Government of Vietnam and of the Netherlands that was signed in October 2010 by the Prime Ministers of both countries.
Besides support from the Netherlands, the project is also funded by the World Bank. The bank is helping countries improve their capacity to weather climate shocks through early warning systems, disaster response and civic awareness programs, strengthening buildings, and post-disaster recovery.
In Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta, the Netherlands is supporting the development of financial and investment modalities whereby public and private funds are mobilized to jointly support adaptation and build resilience in various sectors such as energy and agriculture.
