HCMC seeks to learn from Bangkok’s experience of climate change adaptation

Continuing a working visit to Thailand, the high ranking delegation of Ho Chi Minh City led by the permanent deputy secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, Tran Luu Quang met the local government of Bangkok on November 25 to gain experience in flood control and urban planning, the development of waterway tourism and urban night tourism.
The HCMC delegation visits the True Digital Park . (Photo: Sggp)
The HCMC delegation visits the True Digital Park . (Photo: Sggp)
Speaking at the meeting, HCMC leader Tran Luu Quang said that HCMC has the waterway transport infrastructure network of 105km with five main routes, playing an important role in making the urban landscape and solving drainage problems.
The city has great potential to develop its waterways for tourism like other countries in the region, including Thailand, but it has very few products to meet the demand for this special tourism and lacks facilities like a fully planned waterway network, boats, harbors, and stopovers for local and international tourists.
The HCMC government hoped that the Bangkok’s authorities will share experiences of site clearance and resettlement for affected households along canals; urban planning; urban green spaces along canals; urban development management along river corridors; solutions on capital mobilization; the legal framework calling for investment for flood-control projects; urban-embellishment and waterway tourism development.
The Thai city’s government also shared experiences of its urban development strategy since 2013, smart city development project, Bangkok master plan on climate change 2013-2023, green transport development project and developing Bangkok to become one of the global destinations.
According to Mr. Tran Luu Quang, HCMC will host International Conference on "Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific Region" in 2020 and expect to see the participation of Bangkok City in the event.
On the same day, the municipal delegation visited the True Digital Park which is Thailand's first and Southeast Asia's largest startup ecosystem.
True Digital Park covers a space of 17 acres separated into three main areas; campus, lifestyle, and residential, that meet all digital lifestyle needs. The complex includes 1,000 work stations; 3,000 Sq.m. of cutting-edge tech labs, open labs, makerspace, experience centers, training centers, business center and academies; 8 event spaces including 1 large auditorium with capacity of up to 500 visitors; 1 full-service sports and wellness center featuring an outdoor pool, elevated bike lane and huge sky garden; 3 government service centers; and 200 lifestyle shops on-site including shopping streets lined with restaurants, bars and many more.

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