Joint mission of SECO and GIZ on Mekong Delta Climate Resilience

A joint mission of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and GIZ recently took place in An Giang and Ha Noi within the framework of the Mekong Delta Climate Resilience Programme (MCRP).  

In Long Xuyen, the mission met with the local authorities to review the results of Swiss cooperation with GIZ and An Giang province in the field of drainage and flood risk management and plan for the coming years.  

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Cuong – Deputy Director of the Department of Construction of An Giang reported on the key achievements gained by An Giang province with the support of the Governments of Germany and Switzerland. These achievements include the successful introduction of wastewater tariffs that helps increase income from tariffs by 10 times in 2021; the approval of a drainage master plan that integrates climate change, decentralized wastewater treatments, flood risk maps, land subsidence; the development of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) in a residential park; the installation and operation of rainwater and water level gauges for early warning purpose...  

The mission also visited a SUDS in Binh Khanh Ward, Long Xuyen City which was co-financed by SECO, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the local authority. Applying the technical solutions such as rainwater garden, underground modular storage tank and permeable sidewalks, this model not only contributes to flood reduction in the residential area but also contributes to education and awareness raising on SUDS, carbon reduction, and improve health and well-being for the residents.  

In the coming years, through GIZ, SECO and BMZ will continue to support An Giang province in integration of disaster risks management in the provincial social and economic development plan, advice on the provincial master plan, urban flood management scheme, training on application of sponge city model and exploring the potential of development of integrated rural and urban hubs.  

As part of the mission, SECO and GIZ had a strategic meeting with the Ministry of Construction (MoC) on the implementation of the MCRP. Vice Minister of Construction Bui Hong Minh expressed his appreciation to the support of Swiss and German Governments to MoC over the past years. In cooperation with MoC, SECO and GIZ would focus on regional coordination, integrated urban and rural development, technical infrastructure development to bring benefits to the people in the Mekong Delta.