1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Vinh
Region
Asia
Native title of the NBS intervention
Dự án phát triển cơ sở hạ tầng ưu tiên và đô thị có khả năng chống chịu cho thành phố Vinh
Short description of the intervention
Vinh is the biggest city in north-central Vietnam and is the hub for economic and cultural development in the region. As of 2018, the city has a population of approx. 500,000 inhabitants and is located on the Ca River delta, 160 miles (260 km) south of Hanoi. Flooding and poor environmental sanitation are major impediments to the development of Vinh City. The drainage system of the city is comprised of four catchment basins connected to Rao Dung, Ke Gai, Vinh and Lam Rivers. Among the four, the Vinh River is flowing through the central wards and communes of Vinh City and is one that becomes sensitive to severe flooding events frequently (2,3).
Recently (in 2021), with support from the World Bank, the government initiated a program, the Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project (VPIUR), which is expected to bring a new look to the river, reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas and strengthen urban management capacity to adapt to climate change. This project has several sub components and one of them is a river rehabilitation and upgrade under the form of riverbank green, sanitation, and flood risk management (1, 3).
The implementation includes a comprehensive set of structural and non-structural interventions, including flood control systems and nature-based solutions, wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure, and key transport links. The project aims to transform it into green public spaces which are to be constructed under the project. The project also aims to invest in developing green public spaces along the Vinh riverbank and a new regulation lake. (3)
Address

Vinh
460000
Vietnam

Total area
2080000.00m²
NBS area
820000.00m²
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2021
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2023
End date of the intervention
2029
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The intervention is envisaged as a complex project that includes multiple integrated solutions to challenges surmounting the effects of climate change. The goals were defined below:
1. To reduce the risk of flooding and landslides (and improve the quality of the land at the riverbanks) in urban areas and strengthen the city's ability to manage urban areas to adapt to climate change (1, 2).
2. To adapt to climate change by creating green spaces/riverbank greens for the city through the construction of public space infrastructure (2).
3. To contribute to sustainable urban development and adaptation to climate change, creating motivation for comprehensive socio-economic development for Vinh city and Nghe An province in general (4).
4. To help Vinh City build an integrated infrastructure, increase urban resilience, and help the city adapt to climate change by improving and upgrading the drainage systems of the Vinh river (3).
5. To enhance environmental conditions and human quality of life through modifications and enhancements to the Vinh River and wastewater collection and treatment system (4).
Quantitative targets
- To benefit 1,500 ha of Vinh City’s urban core with increased flood protection approximate a 10-year return period for rainfall and 100 year return period for Lam/Ca River basin. (3)
- To benefit 520,000 inhabitants. (3)
- To benefit a land area of 102 ha. (5)
Monitoring indicators defined
-The size of the area benefiting from the intervention
- The number of people benefiting from the intervention. (3,5)
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Implementation activities
As of 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam has conducted an appraisal of the environmental impact assessment report (EIA) of the priority infrastructure project and urban development adapting to climate change in the city (2).
As this is a new project the implementation process started in late 2022 and early 2023. Component 3 of the project aims to work on river improvements and public space upgrades. This will include rehabilitation of the Vinh river, from where it adjoins the Ke Gai river to the Ben Thuy sluice gate, with a total length of 11.4 km, on the west side of the city. This segment of the riverbank is the primary drainage channel for the two most important catchment areas of the city, totalling over 4,300 ha. Activities will include dredging and improving slope protection and embankment in conjunction with constructing an intercept to collect wastewater that is currently discharged directly to the river, linking to the drainage and environmental sanitation activities in sub-component 1.1. The investments will significantly strengthen the environmental condition of the Vinh river and contribute to cleaner water and fewer plastics flowing into the river, thereby improving the water quality of the regional Lam river as the ultimate water-receiving body. Furthermore, following the river rehabilitation and environmental remediation investments, the quality of the land adjacent to the riverbank will be significantly improved. To ensure that the space is well-utilized and protected, this sub-component will invest in public spaces totalling 20 ha that will be designed and implemented with the objective of developing the Vinh river as the historic spine of the city, with an ecological village, a heritage crossing, market linkages, and new urban area that is connected by the Le Mao extension road. The development of expansive green public spaces along the riverbank will enhance the historical and cultural values of the river, benefiting both citizens as well as tourists (6). Furthermore a new Hung Hoa 2 regulation lake with an area of 53 ha area and the capacity of 2,160,000m3 will be created. The identified location of the Hung Hoa 2 regulation lake is in line with the approved city Master Plan and the land is currently available. The area surrounding the lake, totaling 70 ha will be developed as green public spaces that includes multi-purpose parklands and promenades with lanes for both pedestrians and bicycles. (7)
25 consultation meetings were organized in Nghe An province and Vinh city under the Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project (VPIUR) with a total of 235 individuals attending. The participants included wide-ranging representatives from the provincial implementing agency (PMU staff), local governmental agencies (Nghe An PPC, Vinh city PC, C/WPCs), Provincial Departments (DOC, DARD, DONRE, DOCT, LFDC, DOST, DARD, DOLISA, DOT, DOIC), representatives of the local community (community heads), and local mass organizations (Women's Union, Fatherland Front, Veterans Association, Youth Union) (7).
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Vegetation Type
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Coastal protection
Flood regulation
Water purification / filtration
Cultural services
Tourism
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Governance
Non-government actors
Other
Please specify other non-government actors involved
Multilateral organisation (1)
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
This project is co-financed and managed by World Bank and the Vietnamese government. (1)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Local government/municipality
Multilateral organisation
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
The Law on Environmental Protection (No.55/2014/QH13) dated June 23, 2014 and Decree on Environmental Protection Planning, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Protection Plans (No. 18/2015/ND- CP) dated February 14, 2015 are key legal frameworks for environmental management in Vietnam. (7)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The intervention will be implemented considering several local regulations:
Previously, on December 28, 2021, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2212/QD-TTg on the investment policy of the priority infrastructure project and urban development adapting to climate change in Ho Chi Minh City. Vinh (also known as the Vinh City Flood Control Project). (2)
The Master Plan of Vinh City to 2030 and vision to 2050 (3)
Directive for Vinh city Development No. 2468/QD-TTg (3)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Decision No. 2212/QD-TTg on the investment policy of the priority infrastructure project and urban development adapting to climate change in Ho Chi Minh City. Vinh (also known as the Vinh City Flood Control Project). (2)
The Master Plan of Vinh City to 2030 and vision to 2050 (3)
Directive for Vinh city Development No. 2468/QD-TTg (3)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Prior to the implementation of the present project, there were a series of actions taken, actions that led to the development of the present project.
The World Bank has been supporting Vinh City through the Medium Cities Development Program (MCDP), which was completed in 2018 and focused on expanding access to improved sanitation and reducing travel time on new or improved roads. This project constructed 24.4 km of wastewater pipelines and constructed or improved 9.8 km of drainage channels. Nonetheless, while part of the collected wastewater is transferred to the KfW-funded Hung Hoa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) commissioned in 2015, there is also direct significant discharge through primary drains of uncollected wastewater into the Vinh River. (3)
Binh Duong Province Water Environment Improvement Project (US$230.76 million loan from IBRD); Priority infrastructure project and urban development adapting to climate change in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh, Nghe An province ($129.6 million IBRD loan) and Adaptive Integrated Development project - Binh Dinh province ($68.4 million IBRD loan). (2)
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknwon
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Total investment capital of the project is 194.5 million USD - 182 mil. EUR of which World Bank loan is 129.6 million USD - 121 mil. EUR. The rest of the amount is provided by the Vietnamese government (2)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Type of innovation
Please specify social innovation
To ensure that the space is well-utilized and protected, the project will invest in public spaces totaling 20 ha that will be designed and implemented with the objective of developing the Vinh river as the historic spine of the city, with an ecological village, a heritage crossing, market linkages, and new urban area that is connected by the Le Mao extension road. (6)
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
There is no indication that the project has been inspired by previous actions.
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown. It is not indicated that the intervention will be replicated.
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
- Reduced risk of flooding: As the project is in its early stages, no reports discussing environmental benefits have been disclosed. Nevertheless, the implementers aimed to reduce the risk of flooding in the city of Vinh to a 10-year return period for rainfall and 100 year return period for Lam/Ca River basin (3). To reduce flood risks, an urban resilience strategy of “delay, store, and discharge” will guide the selection of priority interventions.
- Improved water quality: The project will have positive environmental benefits in terms of reducing water-borne diseases and water pollution. The expansion of the wastewater collection system to collect more wastewater for treatment will prevent a large pollution load from reaching the city’s waterways (7).
- Reduced biodiversity loss: Dredging and general cleanup will significantly improve surface water quality, which will benefit aquatic species and human health (7).
- Increase in green space: 70 ha will be developed as green public spaces that include multi-purpose parklands and promenades with lanes for both pedestrians and bicycles (7).
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Project beneficiaries also include households who benefited from the new upgrading roads with better access to business opportunities, including the increasing value of their lands. (7)
Description of social and cultural benefits
- Fair distribution: Project benefits include individual people, households, groups, and public and private sectors who benefit in terms of reducing water-borne diseases and water pollution, and improving city road transportation such as they spend less time travelling from place to place, or improving their access to potential customers thanks to increasing road users passing by. (7)
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
-The size of the area that will be transformed into green space.
- The number of beneficiaries
- The decrease in flooding events
- Change in water quality. (7)

Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
The project will be implemented with due consideration to COVID-19 and will seek to minimize the risk of disease transmission through stakeholder consultation and engagement. During the implementation of the project, the World Bank will explore a number of avenues to assist Vinh City in managing the short and long-term implications of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as future public health crises. These potentially include the following: remote monitoring, remote working tools, public space upgrades, Integrated Flood Risk Management Systems, and Outbreak Monitoring. (3)
Methods of impact monitoring
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
(1). Dat xanh mien bac (2022). Quy hoạch sông vinh hơn 4400 tỷ đồng có những gì? [What is the Vinh River Planning which is worth more than VND 4000 billion]. Available at https://bactrungbo.vn/quy-hoach-song-vinh-hon-4-400-ty-dong-co-nhung-gi-n804.html (Accessed on February 19, 2023).
(2). Tuan, N. (2022). Dự án chống ngập úng TP. Vinh hơn 4.500 tỷ sẽ khởi công trong quý 4/2022 [ Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project will start in fourth quarter of 2022]. Available at https://taichinhdoanhnghiep.net.vn/du-an-chong-ngap-ung-tp-vinh-hon-4500-ty-se-khoi-cong-trong-quy-4-2022-d28569.html (Accessed on February 19, 2023).
(3) The World Bank (2022). Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project (P174157) - Project Information Document. Available at https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099550001192235291/pdf/Project0Inform0t0Project000P174157.pdf (Accessed on February 19, 2023).
(4). Lan, N. (2023). Nghe An People's Committee approves VND 4,502 billion project for Vinh city. Available at https://baomoi.com/nghe-an-people-s-committee-approves-vnd-4-502-billion-project-for-vinh-city/c/45038014.epi (Accessed on February 19, 2023).
(5). Nghe An Newspaper (2023). 5 vùng quy hoạch mới hai bên bờ sông Vinh [5 new planning areas on both sides of the Vinh River]. Available at https://baonghean.vn/5-vung-quy-hoach-moi-hai-ben-bo-song-vinh-post264860.html (Accessed on February 19, 2023).
(6). NGHE AN PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE (2021), VINH CITY PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBAN RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (VPIUR). Available at https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/245681622650037663/pdf/Resettlement-Plan-Vinh-City-Priority-Infrastructure-and-Urban-Resilience-Development-Project-P174157.pdf (Accessed March 13, 2023)
(7). NGHE AN PROVINCIAL PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE (2021), VINH CITY PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBAN RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (VPIUR)
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN (SEP) Available at https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/772181622731228968/pdf/Stakeholder-Engagement-Plan-SEP-Vinh-City-Priority-Infrastructure-and-Urban-Resilience-Development-Project-P174157.pdf (Accessed March 13, 2023)
Comments and notes
Additional insights
The plan provides a detailed strategy to convert vacant land on both sides of the river, most of which is currently used for informal/uncollected waste disposal. This project is being financed by the World Bank with the People's Committee of Nghe An Province as the implementing agency. It is estimated that the project will be completed in 2029. (3)
Public Images
Image
Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project
Vinh City Priority Infrastructure and Urban Resilience Development Project
Ref 1.
Image
Project map
Project map
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/772181622731228968/pdf/Stakeholder-Engagement-Plan-SEP-Vinh-City-Priority-Infrastructure-and-Urban-Resilience-Development-Project-P174157.pdf
Image
Vinh City
Vinh City
https://hansenpartnership.com.au/projects/vinh-city-urban-resilience-climate-adaptation-project/
Image
vinh-city- riverbanks
vinh-city- riverbanks
https://hansenpartnership.com.au/projects/vinh-city-urban-resilience-climate-adaptation-project/