The sum will go to nine projects, which aim to increase the environment planning and managing capacity of urban areas in the 13 Mekong Delta provinces.

UEPP experts said that these projects will be carried out after considering local people's opinions.

The Mekong Delta has around 17 million people, accounting for 21 percent of the country's population, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of the figure, 1.2 million people are residing in flood-prone areas, namely the provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap and Long An.