HCM City, Rotterdam enhance ties in climate change response
VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City and the Netherlands’ Rotterdam city have agreed to augment cooperation in climate change adaptation.
The agreement was reached during a reception held in the Southern city on July 26 by Phan Van Mai, chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, for visiting Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb.
Appreciative of the Dutch city’s management capacity, experience, and technology in response to climate change, Mai suggested that Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Duc city may be the locality capable of implementing specific co-operation projects between both sides. This could include schemes in the field of water resource management, flood control, and climate change adaptation.
Thanking Rotterdam for helping the southern city to define its directions for sea-oriented development and promulgate a climate change adaptation plan, he requested that the Dutch city share its experience and provide technical support in socio-economic planning. This is in addition to general planning, taking into account water management planning, climate change response, and adaptation to nature, thereby contributing to the city's sustainable development.
Ho Chi Minh City greatly values the international business community’s contributions and is therefore willing to create the most favourable conditions possible for Dutch enterprises to conduct long-term business and investment in the city, Mai added.
Mayor Aboutaled affirmed that Rotterdam strongly desires to augment relations with Ho Chi Minh City and is also keen to receive experience in terms of major urban management.
In the event that water and land planning is not done properly, it will put greater pressure on other development plans, thereby affecting the use of surface water and groundwater, he said, adding that Rotterdam has many specific experience and achievements in nature-oriented urban planning. This is in addition to reducing the impact of climate change, with the Dutch city willing to share experience in specific co-operation projects with the Vietnamese side.
He also suggested municipal leaders further support business and investment activities of Dutch enterprises, especially in strong fields of the Netherlands such as clean and green energies and seaport development.
During his working visit to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mayor of Rotterdam is expected to attend a seminar on seaport development and logistics services, in addition to a roundtable on climate change adaptation featuring the participation of Vietnamese and Dutch agencies and businesses.