HCMC will need 70,000 workers Q2

Workers seek jobs at a job fair in HCM City. In the second quarter of this year HCM City-based companies will need to fill 70,000 job vacancies.

In the second quarter of this year HCM City-based companies will need to fill 70,000 job vacancies.

Trần Anh Tuấn, deputy director of HCM City’s Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information (FALMI), made the claim on a government website based on the centre’s study of 4,785 companies.

The vacancies will arise mainly in sales, services, hospitality, transport-logistics-import-export, information technology, architecture and construction.

“In April there will be many vacancies. Companies will need 20,000 permanent and 5,000 temporary workers,” Tuấn said.

Temporary jobs related to tourism – restaurant – hotel services, sales, events, emceeing, and promotions would attract young people, especially students, he said.

“The second quarter is graduation time for university and college students. Therefore, demand for jobs in the second quarter will increase by 15 per cent over the first quarter.”

Of the demand, 30 per cent is for manual workers, 15 per cent for skilled workers, 20 per cent for college graduates, and 35 per cent for people with university degrees or masters..

The labour market continues to move from manual to professional workers.”

Growth in the city economy will have a great impact on the labour market, he added.

Construction work on new Ghenh bridge starts

Construction work on the new Ghenh bridge across the Dong Nai River in the southern province of Dong Nai began on April 1 and is expected to be completed on July 15.

The new bridge will replace the old one which collapsed at noon on March 20 after a badge crashed into its pillar, causing interruption for railway services on the North- South railway line.

It will have three 75 metre spans. The new bridge’s width will be expanded by 2.4 meters to allow for motorcycle and bicycle transportation.

The Prime Minister has agreed in principle to the allocation of nearly 300 billion VND (13 million USD) for the urgent construction work of the bridge.

The old bridge was built more than 113 years ago and was used for both rail and vehicle transportation.

ASEM youth week opens in Hanoi

Over 100 youths and students from nearly 30 member countries of the Asia - Europe Meeting (ASEM) gathered together in Hanoi on April 1 for the 2016 ASEM Youth Week themed “Stronger Actions to Address the Zero Hunger Challenge” and the Model ASEM.

Jointly organised by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), British Council (BC) and the ASEF University Alumni Network (ASEFUAN), the events aim to raise awareness among the youth of their potential in poverty eradication.

They also provide participants a platform to take action in the fight against hunger, contributing to ASEM’s efforts in deploying the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In his speech at the event, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union Dang Quoc Toan mentioned the challenges facing young people from ASEM countries, citing that many young people have no access to high-quality education and healthcare services.

These are obstacles for socio-economic development in any country, both in the ASEM region and the world, he stressed.

Toan hopes the events will be a bridge connecting youths in the ASEM region, contributing to strengthening friendship among Asian and European countries.

The ASEM Youth Week, the first of its kind to be held in Vietnam, is an initiative released by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and co-sponsored by Brunei, Laos and Ireland, which was endorsed at the 10 th ASEM Summit in October 2014 in Milan, Italy.

In the framework of the week, participants will hear reports on the reality of the poverty reduction process in ASEM member nations, and the role of enterprises in generating jobs for young people.

At the Model ASEM, a simulation of the actual ASEM Summit, young participants will act as leaders to discuss the pillars of ASEM, namely politics, economy, and socio-culture, and then recommend measures to promote links among ASEM youths, and how they can be involved in addressing regional and global issues. A joint statement will be issued at the closing session of the meeting.

In the framework of the events, participants will also take part in voluntary activities in northern Quang Ninh province.

Seafood company director arrested over financial losses

Police yesterday arrested Director of Cần Thơ City-based Thiên Mã Seafood Import-Export Company Phan Bá Tòng for alleged economic violations that caused losses worth about VNĐ700 billion (US$31.4 million).

Police also searched Tòng’s house and office in the districts of Ô Môn and Ninh Kiều on the same day. Initial investigation shows that Tòng’s alleged crimes involve banks in the southern Hậu Giang and Cần Thơ.

Tòng is known as a successful businessman in the seafood industry, particularly in tra fish processing and export.

His company was established in 2005 with a charter capital of VNĐ70 billion ($3.14 million) and soon expanded with investment of hundreds of Vietnamese đồng to build three processing plants that had thousands of workers and 12 aquaculture farms. It’s said that he borrowed most of the investment from banks.

Late in 2012, Tòng claimed that he was unable to repay almost VNĐ600 billion of the debt he owed to banks.

Six fishermen rescued off Hoang Sa Island

A ship of the Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre No. 2 (MRCC Đà Nẵng 2) rescued and towed a vessel with six crew members to port yesterday.

The centre said the fishing boat, DNa 90189TS, from Đà Nẵng, went adrift off Hoàng Sa (Paracels) Archipelago of Việt Nam, 220 nautical miles off Đà Nẵng, after its engine broke down on Tuesday.

The MRCC ship found the boat on Wednesday night, after sailing for nine hours on rough seas.

According to the latest report, the centre has rescued 244 fishermen and fishing boats off Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa (Sprat ly) Archipelagos of Việt Nam so far this year.

Last year, a ship from the centre rescued an American tourist who suffered a heart attack off Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, while travelling on the Seven Seas Voyager cruise liner.

Vietnamese fishing boat rammed and sunk by unnamed ship

A fishing boat coded BV 75023 of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province with seven fishermen on board was rammed and sunk by an unnamed ship while anchoring at sea.

vietnamese fishing boat rammed and sunk by unnamed ship hinh 0

The 7 drifting fishermen were saved by the fishing boat coded ST 96868 on March 30.

On March 31, they were received and safely brought ashore by coast guards from Bai Gia Border Post in Soc Trang province.

Fire destroys 3,000-sq.m workshop, no casualties

A major fire which broke out yesterday in a shoe production workshop in HCM City’s Tân Bình industrial zone, has destroyed a 3,000-sq.m workshop in the area, the fire fighting department said.

The blaze was discovered by the night-shift personnel on the first floor of the multi-storey 3,000-sq.m workshop owned by Á Châu individual company, a fire fighting service spokesman said.

The fire destroyed a large amount of material and equipment worth tens of billions of đồng.

Colonel Hà Văn Thắng, head of Tân Phú District’s fire fighting police, said there were no casualties but a significant portion of the factory had been affected.

“When the firemen approached, the building was fully engulfed in flames,” he said.

"Our main concern was to stop the fire from spreading to the neighbouring buildings.

"Some 100 firefighters and around 15 fire engines were mobilised from three districts close to the scene, and the city’s firefighting centre was dispatched to the blaze after the alert was raised at 3am.

The fire took three hours to extinguish as it had quickly spread across the store, which was full of flammable materials used in shoe production, including clothing, synthetic rubber and chemicals.

The dry season has hit the south of Việt Nam, increasing the risk of fires that spread quickly.

Initiative contributes to gender equality in Vietnam

Vietnam’s education sector has been empowered to ensure gender equality thanks to an initiative jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and Training and UNESCO, it was noted at a press briefing in Hanoi, on March 31.

A conference was held to review the outcomes of the initiative: “Gender Equality and Girls’ Education in Vietnam: Empowering girls and women towards a more equal society”, and map out future activities for the project.

Addressing the event, Sun Lei from the UNESCO Office in Vietnam described gender equality as an important factor to sustainable development and a foundation for an integrated and peaceful society.

Ensuring equal access to quality education between girls and boys is an important step to guarantee gender equality and fulfill national development targets and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, she said.

Sun Lei also highlighted the role played by the media in directing public opinion about gender and creating an optimal climate for girls and women to exercise their rights to education.

Tran Thi Phuong Nhung, UNESCO Gender Programme Manager, presented an action programme on gender equality for the education sector during the 2016-2020 period as well as the initiative’s major activities.

Ngo Minh Hien, head of the International Cooperation Department under the Voice of Vietnam, stressed the need to raise public awareness of gender and increase the role of journalists in carrying the message.

Launched in August 2015, the initiative aims to provide technical assistance to ensure gender equality in curriculum and textbook reforms, train education managers and policymakers, and design new teaching and learning materials.

It also supports coordination between parents and the community to help schools create an environment for students to practise what they have learned.

Vietravel earns 21.4 billion VND during HCM City Tourism Festival

Vietravel, one of the top travel agencies in Vietnam, gained 21.4 billion VND (959, 600 USD) in revenue from selling 210 tours to customers at the 12th Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, which took place in the city from March 26 to 29.

Best-selling tours included journeys to Vietnam’s northern and central regions, Da Lat, Phu Quoc Island, Southeast Asia, the Republic of Korea, China and Dubai. Free and Easy Singapore tour and top-notch services in Villa Vinpearl Phu Quoc, Nha Trang and Da Nang were also very much in favour due to reasonable prices.

Vietravel provided a 65-percent discount for dozens of tours booked during the festival. A line-up of gifts and vouchers were also up for grabs for customers.

Special offers were given out for 26 domestic and foreign tours to Hanoi-Yen Tu-Ha Long- Ba Vang Pagoda-Ninh Binh-Trang An (four days), and Sa Pa-Fansipan-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Yen Tu-Ha Long (five days). They were sold from 390,000 VND (17.5 USD) to 6,990,000 VND (313.38 USD).

Established in 1995, Vietravel has recorded significant growth. It was named Asia’s Leading Travel Agency and Vietnam’s Leading Travel Agency at the World Travel Awards.

It has an extensive network with more than 40 offices nationwide and branches in Cambodia, Thailand and the US. According to the company’s five-year plan for the 2015-2020 period, it aims to become Vietnam’s first multinational tourist company.-

Workshop discusses national biomass development

German company GIZ and the General Directorate of Energy on March 31 hosted a consultation workshop for the National Biomass Energy Development and Utilization Planning.

The workshop was facilitated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade/GIZ Energy Support Programme under the “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency” (4E) project to help Vietnam utilise this source of energy to meet the objectives set in its Renewable Energy Development Strategy.

The 4E project is implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and co-funded by the United States Agency for International Development and the Czech Government.

The workshop targeted relevant ministries including those of industry and trade, planning and investment, agriculture and rural development, natural resources and environment, and provincial agencies.

It aimed to gather opinions from participants to finalise the National Biomass Planning Study report and improve methodologies on biomass planning.

The study will be a document guiding policy makers and managers to assess the development potential, current exploration and utilisation status of biomass for power generation, economic and ecological benefits for converting crude resources into end-use energy and compatibility with national socio-economic development to draw up a roadmap for the exploration and utilisation of biomass effectively and sustainably.

According to Nguyen Duc Cuong, a representative of the Institute of Energy, Vietnam’s electricity demand has increased by 13 percent a year for the past 10 years.

He forecast the demand to quadruple in 15 years due to the country’s rapid industrialisation.

Vietnam has huge potential for biomass power generation from straw, rice husk, bagasse, coffee husk, peanut shell, sawdust, waste from coconut trees, and others, which are available almost in every province, he added.

If utilised effectively, biomass energy will not only reduce dependence on traditional energies, reduce carbon emissions and environmental pollution but also benefit biomass producers and farmers who sell residues and agricultural and forestry by-products.

The Institute of Energy also named 25 provinces and cities that are expected to be studied this month to utilise biomass.

GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.

Cham Island to launch waste treatment project

The Chàm Island, 20km off the coast of Hội An, will launch its garbage treatment furnace with a capacity of three tonnes every day from this weekend.

An official from the island commune’s people’s committee, Trần Quý Tây, confirmed to Việt Nam News that the furnace, which was donated by Green Fields Development Investment Joint-stock Company, could help the island to deal with the garbage released daily by tourists and local islanders.

Tây said it is the first waste treatment project with updated technology installed at the island.

He said the garbage released daily is often either buried or converted into compost, while solid waste is burnt.

He said manual treatment results in air pollution or there is a risk of forest fire.

Around 3,000 inhabitants of Chàm Island and tourists release three tonnes of garbage each day.

The island is the first location in Việt Nam which has successfully applied its non-use plastic bags and the 3-R (reduce, reuse and recycle) programmes since 2011.

The island’s management also has grown 4,800 colonies of coral on an area of 4,000sq.m since 2012, and the island is home to 1.26sq.km of coral reefs.

Chàm Island, which was recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009, started using fresh water in 2013, and expects to connect with power later this year.

It hosts around 100,000 tourists annually, 10 per cent of whom are foreigners.

The island’s administration offers top priorities for environmentally friendly technology solutions such as wind power and solar energy.

Last year, 350,000 tourists visited the Island.

Collapsed bridge earn coffee shops more

The Ghềnh Bridge in Biên Hòa City, in the southern province of Đồng Nai, was hit by a passing barge on March 20.

The collision sent the middle span of the bridge crashing down into the water along with three unlucky commuters, while capsizing the barge.

The Ghềnh Bridge was built more than 100 years ago and is used for both railway and land transportation.

The bridge’s collapse has caused a lot of hard work for workers sent to fix it, and a lot of inconvenience to passers-by, but it has also brought good luck to some people. They are the owners of coffee shops near the bridge.

As the bridge was being repaired, a large number of people flocked to the scene to watch the work and shoot the ’unique state’ of the broken bridge. Grasping the chance, one of the coffee shop owners hung up a sign saying, “People watching the bridge must drink coffee and water.”

Đào, owner of the Phong Lan coffee shop, said that since the bridge collapsed, her shop’s income has increased sharply.

Previously she earned VNĐ500,000-600,000 (US$20-25) a day, but since the bridge collapsed, her income has doubled. It has even increased four or five-fold on the weekends when many reporters and local residents came to watch.

Some people’s bad luck may be lucky for others. So if you are unlucky, try not to be too pessimistic as you may be bringing good fortune to someone else.

Vietnam announces seven days off for national holidays next month

The Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has announced that workers will have a total of seven days off from work to celebrate two national holidays that fall on the weekend next month.

Workers and laborers in Vietnam will have three days off work during the Hung Kings death anniversary to commemorate the event, which falls on April 16 (Saturday), the ministry said, adding that staff of political and political-social affairs organizations will have a similar schedule.

The break will last from the beginning of the holiday on April 16 until April 18 (Monday), according to the ministry.

The death anniversary of the Hung Kings, or Hung Kings Temple Festival, is commemorated annually on the tenth day of the third month in the lunar calendar to honor the kings, who are believed to have made great contributions in building the country from its very start.

The ministry noted that as Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1) also fall on a weekend, laborers and workers will be allowed to take four consecutive days off work, from April 30 (Saturday) to May 3 (Tuesday).

Reunification Day is a state holiday commemorating the unconditional surrender of Duong Van Minh, president of the former Saigon regime, to Vietnamese liberation troops on April 30, 1975.  As a result, Vietnamese liberation troops were able to claim the Independence Palace and put an end to the American war in Vietnam.

The historically momentous triumph was the direct result of the 1975 Spring Campaign.

Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, after late President Ho Chi Minh, while the palace was changed to the Reunification Palace.

Reunification Day and International Labor Day are national holidays in Vietnam.

Train cars transported by road from HCMC to Bien Hoa

Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will transport train cars by road from Saigon Railway Station in HCMC to neighboring Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa Railway Station that is now the final stop of the north-south rail line.

Passenger traffic has surged at Bien Hoa station since Saigon Railway Station was cut off from the cross-country railway following the collapse of Ghenh Bridge.

These train cars will enable Bien Hoa station to handle a strong increase in passengers in the coming time, especially during Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), VNR said at a meeting in HCMC on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Transport convened the meeting to discuss new solutions to passenger and cargo transport services on the north-south line in the aftermath of the bridge being hit by a barge in Dong Nai earlier this month.

The sand-transporting barge crashed into the old French-built bridge on March 20, disrupting all train services to and from HCMC.

Since the incident, many train cars have been left unused at Saigon station while there have not been enough cars at Bien Hoa station to transport passengers and cargo to the central and northern regions.

The railway operator of the north-south rail line has plans to add 50 passenger and 100 cargo cars to meet surging demand during the upcoming holidays.

Tran Ngoc Thanh, chairman of VNR, said the corporation is seeking approval from the ministry and Dong Nai Province to transport train cars by road from HCMC to Dong Nai in the coming days as the transport of these carriages is not allowed by the existing traffic regulations.

Regarding the plan to build a new Ghenh Bridge, the railway operator said the salvage of the collapsed bridge spans will be complete on March 31 and work will start on the new bridge on April 1. The new rail bridge worth VND298.5 billion (US$13.38 million) is set to be put into use before mid-July.

Hanoi mobilises social capital for parking lot

Hà Nội will not use budget funds, but mobilised social capital to build a three-storey underground parking lot in Thống Nhất Park, an official of the municipal People’s Committee said.

The Hà Nội People’s Committee last year approved a project to build a parking lot of more than 10,000sq.m in the park in Lê Duẩn Street, Hai Bà Trưng District, which will accommodate 390 cars.

The car park will have an estimated investment capital of VNĐ100 billion (US$4.7 million), deputy head of the committee’s secretariat Lưu Quang Huy said at a press briefing yesterday.

He said only trees and flowers would be planted on the roof of the underground building and the local authorities would not permit the construction of any commercial centre on it.

The land for the parking lot has been lying unused since 1997. In 2013, the land was earmarked for a five-star hotel. However, strong public opposition led to the project being abandoned.

In 2014, the Hà Nội Parking One Member Co. Ltd asked the city authority for permission to use the land for a parking lot. It proposed to plant grass and trees on the roof of the underground building.

The project met severe public opposition last year, as it was said the project would eat into the city’s green space. However, the city authority decided to approve the project after considering the opinions of experts, government agencies and residents.

Huy said the city had entrusted the Hà Nội Urban Planning Institute to prepare a master plan for the park’s upgrade to meet the local residents’ demand for entertainment space. The construction of the underground parking lot was part of the master plan to help deal with the shortage of parking lots in the capital city, he said.

The detailed master plan is being finalised and will be submitted to the municipal People’s Committee for approval.

2,300ha of sugarcane damaged by salinization in Mekong Delta

Prolonged salinization in the Mekong Delta region has heavily damaged sugarcane plantation areas in several provinces of southern Vietnam, local authorities have said.

According to Ho Thanh Kiet, head of the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cu Lao Dung District in Soc Trang Province, over 2,300ha of sugarcane plantation has sustained damage, accounting for over 30% of the total crop.

Of those, he said, over 214ha have been completely destroyed (more than 70%) and 619ha severely damaged (from 50% to 70%).

Kiet attributed the widespread loss to salinization, which has either killed or reduced the productivity of sugarcane plantations, adding that this was the first time salinity had infiltrated this far infield at such a high level of concentration.

“We have filed for financial assistance from the provincial People’s Committee, which will provide VND4 million (US$180) per hectare of completely damaged sugarcanes and VND2 million US$90) per hectare for the rest,” Kiet said.

“We advise people to harvest their crops early to avoid losing sugarcanes and their reserves, as well as not sowing a new harvest until the beginning of the rainy season,” Kiet added.

According to Kiet, there were 6,630ha of sugarcanes grown in Cu Lao Dung in the 2015-16 crop year, of which nearly 3,200ha have already been harvested but at a reduced level of productivity, smaller yield and lower price.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper journalists have reported seeing fields of sugarcanes running along Cu Lao Dung turning yellow, a sure sign of water deprivation, along with some that have died out completely.

Pham Cong Tho, a resident in An Thanh 2 Ward in Cu Lao Dung, said he had harvested just 7,000m2 of sugarcanes and sold them for VND49 million (US$2,190), which translated to a VND3 million (US$135) loss per thousand square meters, not to mention the labor that his family has spent on growing the crop.

“Had it not been for prolonged salinization and drought, I would have sown a new crop already,” he said.

Several other sugarcane-growing households in the ward have also reported that their harvests have been rejected or bought at a low price by merchants due to their crops’ low sugar levels.

Similarly, sugarcanes grown in Phung Hiep Ward, the largest sugarcane plantation area of Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region at over 7,560ha, have also died of salinization or showed signs of rust due to a lack of water.

Nguyen The Tu, deputy head of Phung Hiep Ward’s Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, said around 200 to 300ha of sugarcanes in the area have been infected with rust disease because people were reluctant to water the plants fearing the water was too heavily salinized.

“The hotter it gets, the faster this disease spreads, so farmers should spray their crops with special repellants and keep the plants hydrated,” Tu advised.

Meanwhile, 400ha of sugarcanes in Thoi Binh District in the southernmost province of Ca Mau are also in danger of being destroyed by the persistent drought.

“Up until now, around 30% of sugarcane fields in the area have either died or stopped growing due to dehydration. If the drought persists, the remaining sugarcanes are also at risk of being lost completely,” said Nguyen Hoang Lam, head of Thoi Binh District’s Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development.

ASEAN Ambassadors support stronger ties with Russia

ASEAN Ambassadors to Russia gathered at a meeting held in Moscow on March 31 to discuss specific activities to further strengthen ties between ASEAN and Russia .

The event was chaired by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son at Hanoi-Moscow Centre for Culture, Trade and Hotels (Incentra).

At the meeting, Ambassador Son suggested that ASEAN member nations jointly organise an ASEAN high-quality product fair this year to mark the 20th anniversary of partnership between the bloc and Russia .

The ASEAN Ambassadors warmly responded to the initiative and contributed ideas on how to realise it.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese ambassador introduced to participants several Vietnam’s investment projects in Russia, including a 120-hectare light industrial zone and the TH True Milk project worth 2.5 billion USD on dairy cow breeding and processing of dairy products.

Representatives from the Incentra’s executive board also gave their guests an overview of the complex, which is considered a symbol of good relationship between Vietnam and Russia.-

Remains of over 1,000 fallen Vietnamese soldiers still in Cambodia

The Military Zone 9 has repatriated the remains of 6,489 Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts killed during wartime in Cambodia. However, the remains of 1,000 of them are still in the country.

It was reported at a working session in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia between a Military Zone 9 delegation and a special working group of the province on March 29.

Over the years, the two sides have closely coordinated in searching and collecting the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers and experts during the past war in Cambodia. Since 2001, remains of 6,489 martyrs have been found in 10 Cambodian provinces, including 291 in Khampong Chhang.

At the working session, Kampong Chhnang Governor Chhouk Chandoeun highlighted the great assistance of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts in their fight against the Pol Pot-led genocidal regime and said provincial authorities and people strongly supported the searching and returning of remains of Vietnamese martyrs.

As planned, the Military Zone 9 working group will work with some Cambodian provinces to accelerate the task.

Free bread for the poor in Hanoi

A cabinet offering free bread to the poor has appeared on Tran Nhan Tong Street in Hanoi over the last two months.

People in need coming here can have bread, condensed milk and water free of charge.

According to a resident in Tran Nhan Tong St, Mr. Nguyen Duc Tri, the free bread is offered by a student who has returned from the US and wanted to help the disadvantaged people.

Poor people, street vendors and shoeshiners all have a chance to enjoy the free bread.

A motorbike taxi driver, Pham Dinh Hoang from Thuong Tin district said the bread donation helps much because he often goes to work without breakfast to save money.

HCM City asks for Netherlands’ help to cope with saltwater intrusion

Ho Chi Minh City wants the Netherlands to assist in dealing with saltwater intrusion, which is challenging the southern municipality and the entire Mekong Delta nearby, a local official has said.

Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem had a working session on climate change response on March 31 with the visiting Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Melanie Schultz van Haegen.

Liem said HCM City will work with Dutch agencies to consider the application of filter technology and other related innovations.

He also acknowledged the Netherlands’ effective assistance in climate change response, water resource management and inundation prevention, which are increasingly critical to local sustainable development for the future.

HCM City and the European nation’s Rotterdam city inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on climate change adaptation cooperation in March 2011. Under that partnership, District 4 was chosen to integrate the principles of the climate adaptation strategy through its socio-economic development planning.

The official said he hopes the Netherlands will help call for investment into an anti-flooding reservoir in the neighbourhood of Khanh Hoi Lake park in District 4.

At the working session, Minister Haegen shared her country’s experience in using advanced technologies to dredge rivers.

She noted that are apart from facing saltwater intrusion, rivers in HCM City are also encountering pollution, along with daily and industrial waste. Dutch experts are ready to offer advice and cutting-edge technologies for the city to treat water.

Paula Verhoeven, Director of Rotterdam’s sustainability and climate change programme, said coping with climate change is a long-term and challenging matter. A flood control reservoir at Khanh Hoi park is considered an important solution in HCM City, as the increasingly complicated climate changes are leading to a cycle of deluge, water shortage and drought.

On this occasion, the steering centre of HCM City’s Flood Control Programme and the Netherlands’ water management agency signed an MoU on growing the centre’s capacity.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri