On March 11, 2026, the Chairman of the Hai Phong City People's Committee officially signed and issued Decision No. 871/QD-UBND approving the Technical Assistance (TA) Project Document for the investment and construction of a wastewater collection and treatment system in several central wards and communes in the western part of the city. This event is of great significance, marking a breakthrough in urban technical infrastructure and demonstrating the strong strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Netherlands in water resource management and climate change adaptation.
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Urgent Context: Solving the Environmental Puzzle in the West
Hai Phong is currently facing major environmental pollution challenges due to rapid urbanization. According to current statistics, the city-wide urban wastewater treatment rate (after merger) has only reached approximately 32.22%. Notably, while the eastern area has achieved a treatment rate of about 40.77%, the western central area remains very low at only 19.56%. This disparity leads to imbalanced infrastructure investment, directly causes surface water pollution and urban flooding, and seriously impacts the health of hundreds of thousands of residents. Therefore, investing in a modern, centralized wastewater collection and treatment system for western satellite towns is an urgent task to minimize pollution, protect the ecosystem, and create a foundation for a green transition toward the Government's "Net Zero" orientation.
Scale and Project Participants
This TA project is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation through Invest International within the framework of the DRIVE TA Program. This specialized program supports developing countries in preparing medium- and large-scale infrastructure projects to international standards. The Hai Phong City People's Committee acts as the governing body, and the Hai Phong Agricultural and Rural Development Construction Project Management Board serves as the project owner.
The project is scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2027. The total investment is approximately 27.84 billion VND (equivalent to 947,402 EUR). Of this, non-refundable aid from the Dutch Government accounts for 95.96% (about 26.71 billion VND), while the remainder is counterpart funding from the city budget (about 1.12 billion VND) to cover project management costs.
Technical Roadmap: Building Foundations with Data and Technology
The TA project in this phase does not involve direct construction but focuses entirely on preparing the Feasibility Study (FS) and specialized technical dossiers as a foundation for the actual investment phase. Core activities include:
- Current Status Survey: Collecting detailed data on natural conditions, population, and existing drainage and wastewater treatment infrastructure in the project area. Topographical, geological, and hydrological surveys will be conducted scientifically to ensure accuracy for future technical designs.
- Proposed Technology Solutions: Researching and comparing advanced wastewater treatment technologies such as Oxidation Ditches (OD), Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR), or Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS). Technology selection will prioritize environmental friendliness, sustainability, and alignment with Hai Phong's development orientation and Dutch standards.
- Digitalization in Management: The project plans to apply Building Information Modeling (BIM) according to IFC 4.0 standards in the base design dossiers to optimize the management, operation, and maintenance of the system upon completion.
- Comprehensive Impact Assessment: Developing reports on environmental-social safety, Resettlement Policy Frameworks (RPF), Environmental Management Plans (EMP), and assessing impacts related to gender, human rights, and labor.
Vision for a Modern Wastewater Treatment System
Based on the TA project results, the future comprehensive wastewater treatment system for the western part of the city is expected to include 05 centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) with a total capacity of 21,000 m3/day. Specifically:
- WWTP 01 (6,000 m3/day): Serving Chu Van An and Le Dai Hanh wards.
- WWTP 02 (6,000 m3/day): Serving Kinh Mon, Pham Su Manh, Tran Lieu, and Nguyen Dai Nang wards.
- WWTP 03 (3,000 m3/day): Serving the Gia Loc commune area.
- WWTP 04 (3,000 m3/day): Serving Tu Minh and Viet Hoa wards.
- WWTP 05 (3,000 m3/day): Serving the Nam Sach commune area.
This system will be accompanied by approximately 166 km of gravity sewers, 8.9 km of pressure pipes, 09 wastewater pumping stations, and about 26,000 household connections.
Humanitarian Significance and Socio-Economic Benefits
Once fully operational, the project will directly benefit approximately 236,000 people by 2040. The positive impacts extend beyond improving environmental sanitation to include:
- Improving Community Health: Reducing waterborne diseases and focusing on protecting vulnerable groups such as the poor, the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.
- Boosting a Sustainable Economy: A modern wastewater system will increase local real estate value, attract investment into satellite towns, and create job opportunities for local labor during construction and operation.
- Adapting to Climate Change: The project is a vital link in the national strategy for urban drainage and wastewater treatment by 2030, enhancing the city's resilience against extreme weather events.
Commitment and Implementation
To ensure the project proceeds on schedule (2026-2027), the Hai Phong City People's Committee requires close coordination between departments. The Project Management Board is tasked with presiding over and coordinating with the Dutch donor to implement the approved document contents while strictly complying with financial management principles for ODA capital.
The Netherlands, as a global leader in wastewater treatment and water resource management, commits to transferring the most advanced and environmentally friendly technical solutions to Hai Phong. The combination of international expertise and the determination of the local government promises to make the project a model for international cooperation that can be replicated in other cities across the country. This approval is a strong commitment by Hai Phong to create a green, clean, and modern living space for future generations.