Vietnam - Hai Phong




​​The Urban Pathways Implementation Tracker is tracking the Projects Progress 
87%
The objectives of the project are to:
1. Redesign and develop an existing area along the Tam Bac river in Hai Phong city, making it a tourist attraction centre, and maintaining historical and cultural importance; 
2. Demonstrate the activity to citizens that attract urban public spaces have the potential to increase active mobility and can be well integrated with public transport; 
3. Create convivial and pedestrian only public space to promote public health and increase the safety of pedestrians from fast moving motorised traffic; 
4. Influence the urban planning paradigm and shift it towards a people focussed policy; 
5. Integrate the project with other sectors such as energy and resource management to amplify the climate mitigation potential.
​Pilot City: Hai Phong
Status: finished
VIETNAM IS COMMITTED TO A 8% TO 25% (CONDITIONAL) REDUCTION OF EMISSION INTENSITY PER UNIT OF GDP BY 2030
With a population of 1.96 million (2015), Hai Phong is the third largest city in Vietnam. The city plays a critical role within the region owing to its strategic location within the Red River Delta and along the coast of the South China Sea, as well as its proximity to the capital city of Hanoi, situated 100 km to the east. The Port of Hai Phong is the largest container port in northern Vietnam, which has resulted in the city becoming one of the largest marine distribution centres with a concentration of multiple large-scale manufacturing, industrial complexes and international free-trade zones. 
From the perspective of low-carbon urban development, Hai Phong’s local governmental policies are connected with corresponding national strategies. Three of these policies are especially important. The first one is the National Green Growth Strategy (2012) which aims at a 30% GHG emission reduction by 2030. Based on this policy, the city has framed its own Green Growth Strategy Action Plan (2014). Along with the intent of achieving low-carbon growth for urban and industrial areas, this plan also aims at developing Hai Phong as a ‘Green Port City’. The second major policy document is the National Socio-economic Development Plan (SEDP). Based on the SEDP’s directives, the local department for planning and investment (DPI) prepares the city’s five-year master plans (the current one being for the 2016-2020 period). The plan sets targets for GDP growth, poverty reduction, industrial production, taxation and public expenditure. Thirdly, Hai Phong also adheres to a spatial master plan prepared at the national level by the MOT, which guides the city’s urban planning and port development projects. For effective implementation of these multiple plans, it is essential that the local government builds synergies between diverse actions and facilitates coordination among all line agencies. 
Hai Phong’s sectoral challenges and solutions which align with the city’s ‘green growth’ plans are outlined below: 

Energy:
Hai Phong’s electricity consumption is set to triple by 2020 compared to 2013 levels (OECD, 2016). As a result, the city faces the challenge of supplying a growing demand for power, especially for the industrial and construction sectors, through sustainable sources. This is being addressed by promoting solar water heaters, incentivising solar-panel sales and using solar energy for street-lighting. 
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Transport:
Similar to with all other Vietnamese cities, the dependence on motorcycles is extremely high in Hai Phong. 78% of households own a motorbike (2014) and the mode accounted for over two-thirds of total trips (OECD, 2016). To address the present lack of efficient public transport, the city could invest in strengthening the existing bus network. The city also has a proposal of introducing 220 electric buses, which is yet to be implemented.   

Waste:
​Hai Phong produces significantly higher solid waste per person at 475 kg annually compared to megacities such as Bangkok (640) or Hong Kong (490). Also, the city’s future urban waste generation is likely to increase given the high rate of urbanisation (OECD, 2018). Hai Phong’s solid waste generation is estimated to grow fourfold by 2025 (OECD, 2016). This is particularly alarming, since a significant portion of the city’s waste is of hazardous type released by the industrial sector. Although the ‘Class I’ cities in Vietnam, including Hai Phong, have a high rate of waste treatment at 87%, the system could further benefit from waste-to-energy conversion plants and recycling facilities.
Factsheets
Staus: In progress
The factsheets provide a basic introduction to specific measures in the areas of energy, mobility and waste management, which aims to provide a basket of possible solutions to partner cities.
E-learning Programme
Status: In progress
Learning resources on Mobility, Energy and Waste Management
E-learning programme builds on the toolbox and factsheets and aims to provide a better understanding of possible actions, highlighting the experiences from the implementation of measures in other cities building on the wealth of knowledge of international experts. ​
Action Tracker
Status: In progress
Gives an overview of the Projects progress​
The Urban Pathways Action Tracker provides an overview of the project’s activities in the cities and reflects on the various action areas. The main objective of this is to share learnings with other cities and identify opportunities for synergies with other projects and initiatives.
Capacity Building
Status: In progress
The Urban Pathways partner cities Melaka (Malaysia) and Hai Phong (Vietnam) joined a regional training event co-organised by the city network ICLEI. As part of the sister project Ambitious Cities Promises the local government officials will learn about urban mobility and planning issues in cooperation with the Urban Pathways project. 
Urban Pathways Action Planning Days 2019
7-8 February 2019, Berlin By invitation
This workshop focused on implementation action in Southeast Asia of the Paris Agreement in the context of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Urban Pathways project will work closely with the cities and follow a structured approach to boost Low Carbon Plans for urban mobility, energy and waste management services that deliver on the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda. The project will work on concrete steps towards a maximum impact with regards to the contribution of urban basic services (mobility, energy and waste management) in cities to global climate change mitigation efforts and sustainable and inclusive urban development.
The Urban Pathways Conference took place from 16 to 20 October in Berlin, Germany, with the objective to discuss concrete low-carbon energy, mobility and waste-management solutions to deliver on the New Urban Agenda. This event showcased activities of cities working together on sustainable urban development and helped taking this further into a joint program of action. ​
Urban Change Maker
Status: In progress
​The Urban Change Maker Programme actively trains and involves motivated junior and senior experts to contribute our joint effort of delivering on the New Urban Agenda with concepts for low-carbon urban energy, mobility and waste management systems.
City-to-City Partnerships
Status: In progress
The partner cities will be supported by exchanging ideas with their peers in other cities who have developed successful urban mobility, energy and resource management solutions. This will focus on the story behind the success on governance, finance and regulatory issues. ​
Melaka and Hai Phong were invited by ICLEI - Local government for sustainability to join a training course organised under the Ambitious cities project funded by IKI. The topics of the training closely matched the focus of the Urban Pathways project. Joining the trainings gave an opportunity for the Urban Pathways cities to share experiences and explore synergies. 
Regional Replication
Status: Work in Progress
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Sustainable Transportation in Asian cities
Regional Replication I 25 April -2 May 2019 I South Korea
24 participants from 10 Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) joined the training course on urban mobility, and discussed on modes, options and strategies for sustainable, safe, accessible, and innovative urban transportation in global as well as in the context of Asian cities.​
Policy Environment Assessment
Status: Finished
Country overview
Vietnam has a population of 93.5 million (2015) and is located in Southeast Asia between the Mekong River Delta to the south, the Red River Delta to the north and the South China Sea to the east. Between the period of 1980-2015, Vietnam’s rate of population growth in rural areas significantly declined to near zero, while the resultant migration has led to rapid urbanisation across all major cities. Although the country’s current level of urbanisation is low at around 35.7%, it is projected that urban areas would accommodate over half of the country’s population by 2045 (Vietnam Habitat III National Report, 2016). While one-third of the current urban population is presently concentrated in the two largest metropolitan regions of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s secondary tier of the next three largest cities, namely, Can Tho, Hai Phong and Da Nang, is also deemed critical in addressing the future challenges of low-carbon growth.  

Vietnam’s economic transition to a lower-middle income country is achieved through intensive policy reforms which shifted a centrally-planned economy to a market-driven one and led to greater agricultural yields, manufacturing output and foreign investments. In 2016, Vietnam’s GDP was 202.62 billion USD, while the GDP per capita was 2,060 USD in 2016 (World Bank, n.d.).

Vietnam currently contributes 0.6% of the world’s total greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and ranks 27th globally in terms of GHG emissions (Vietnamnet, 2017). For the period of 1990-2014, the country’s cumulative GHG emissions were 252 MtCO2e. During the same period, GHG emissions for  energy (electricity sub-sector) were 50 metric tons, for transport: 31.9 metric tons and waste: 9.4 metric tons (WRI-CAIT, n.d.). 

Energy
Vietnam’s energy sector is the largest contributor to its GHG emissions, accounting for over half of the country’s total emissions. Energy generation is characterised by high reliance on fossil-fuel sources, with coal and oil each accounting for one-third of the current energy mix. The National Government considers coal-fired power generation to be essential for energy security, which is projected to account for half of the energy mix by 2030. Moreover, the nationwide demand for electricity is estimated to increase four-fold by 2030, driven by the present and future high rates of both economic development and urbanisation. With such forecasts, the promotion and rapid implementation of energy efficiency and renewal energy-related measures is essential for Vietnam to achieve its INDC targets. 
​Transportation
Vietnam has the highest per capita ownership of motorcycles in the world, with motorbikes accounting for 96% of the country’s total number of vehicles. In urban areas, motorcycles are the most preferred choice for mobility because of its low relative price as well as lack of reliable public transportation. Furthermore, given the rapid economic development of the country, there has been a steep growth of car-ownership. Car-sales in Vietnam have recorded an annual growth of 39% since 2012, which is one of the highest in the region. Vietnam’s high dependence on private motorised vehicles powered by fossil fuels has resulted in negative consequences in three critical transport-related attributes – (a) GHG emissions:  Transport presently accounts for 12.7% of the total GHG emissions of Vietnam (WRI – CAIT, n.d.); (b) Air quality: Air pollution in urban areas, particularly, Particulate Matter concentration, is significantly higher compared to other Asian cities (OECD, 2018); and (c) Road Safety: Vietnam registered one of the highest rates of traffic-related fatalities in Southeast Asia at 25 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, a majority of which involved motorcycle riders.

Waste management
Vietnamese cities have significantly high rates of solid waste generation compared to other Asian cities, which is also the case of Hai Phong. Comparatively, the current waste management capacities are insufficient with only 60% of the total urban solid waste generated nationwide being recycled or treated in sanitary land-fills. According to the MONRE, out of the 98 open landfill sites operational in urban areas, only 16 are scientifically considered hygienic. The waste sector also accounts for 6% of the country’s total GHG emissions. 
In the past decade, the National Government has issued three successive decisions, approved by the Prime Minister, that serve as policies for governing solid waste management. These comprise of – (a) The 2008 Decision which outlined a plan up to 2020 for the nationwide construction of treatment facilities; (b) The 2009 Decision which set targets for treatment of industrial, hazardous and non-hazardous waste up to 2025; and (c) The 2012 National Strategy for Environmental Protection which supplements the 2008 Decision in order to strengthen the implementation of waste treatment-related initiatives. ​
Policy Recommendations
Status: Pending​
Policy measures at the local and national level can be critical to the transformation of urban energy, mobility and resource sectors, for example they regulate systems, provide technological standards, generate funding, impose taxes and set policy objectives. As part of the cooperation with the partner cities, Urban Pathways provides on-demand policy advice. 
Project Development
Status: Work in progress
One of the core objectives is the development and implementation of projects that help decarbonising urban energy, mobility and resource sectors. The projects concepts that are considered to be viable will be later developed into bankable projects for which funding will be sought. ​
Funding Solutions
Status: Work in progress
An overview of funding solutions is provided in the toolbox. This section includes updates on the specific funding options that are considered for the partner city.  
Implementation Facility
Status: Work in progress
The Implementation Facility coordinates the delivery of the project and creates synergies with other initiatives working in the Urban Pathways areas and regions. The facility focuses on knowledge exchange, co-creation and collaboration with partner projects working in the Urban Pathways cities.  
Action Plans
Status: Work in progress
The Action Plans summarise key on-going initiatives and identify opportunities for further action with a focus on cross-sectoral synergies and policy interactions between the local and national level. 
Bankable Projects
Status: Work in Progress
PROJECT CONCEPT: PEDESTRIAN STREET ALONG TAM BAC RIVER 
The proposed urban renewal demonstration project is an initial step towards a larger urban transformation in Hai Phong city. The current action will be implemented at the Tam Bac river front in the Hong Bang district of Hai Phong city. The district has a socio-economic importance. It is a destination for employment to many people, and for tourist visiting the cultural and heritage sites. 
The increased importance of the river front of the Tam Bac River and its centrality to the Hong Bang District provides significant rationale for support to redesign and develop the area to include pedestrian friendly mobility. The central aim of the development is to increase the social wellbeing of the residents and visitors in Hong Bang district. The current situation in Hong Bang does not allow an increased and safe movement of pedestrians and people with special needs. Lack of people friendly infrastructure forces an increased use of motorized modes of transport, which are unsafe for both the riders and for the other road users
Implementation Support
Status: Pending
The Urban Pathways team actively support partner cities in the implementation of urban energy, mobility and waste management solutions. This support includes activities jointly initiated under this project and other relevant actions currently on-going in the partner cities.