A proposed inundation management project in Thu Duc city in Ho Chi Minh City, with estimated investment of $430 million, will help prevent flooding and improve the local environment.

The project will comprise three parts, according to a proposal from the Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Unit submitted recently to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. The first part will have the largest investment, of around $200 million, and aims to protect the Go Dua area at the core of Thu Duc city from flooding.

Of the total project investment, the Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Unit has proposed borrowing $350 million from the World Bank to invest in the first and second components, with the remainder to be covered by domestic counterpart funding. Once the proposal is approved and preparations are completed, the project is to be carried out in the 2026-2030 period.

The first part of the project will include investments for renovation and construction of new dikes, drains, pumping stations, and a rainwater drainage and collection system through regulating reservoirs. Moreover, a new flood risk information system will be set up, integrating with the various technological platforms currently used by Ho Chi Minh City to better manage the area.

The second part will focus on improving the drainage and water treatment system for the Go Dua core area, with investment of $150 million. Many important project items will be carried out, including the construction of rainwater drainage and wastewater collection systems for the project’s basin. These systems will be connected to the existing infrastructure to complete the drainage network in the area. Concurrently, a new wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 130,000 cu m per day will be built.

The remaining $80 million will go to supporting elements of the project, like site clearance, consultation, management, and taxes. 

According to the Management Unit, once completed, the project will help lower the risk of flooding in the core area of Thu Duc city and contribute to improving the local environment. It is estimated that around 360,000 people in the Go Dua area along with 1.5 million people in Thu Duc city will benefit from the project.

Ho Chi Minh City’s leadership submitted a request in January to the Prime Minister and relevant ministries to include the project on the list of those mobilizing capital from the World Bank for implementation in the near future.

Thu Duc city covers an area of approximately 211 sq km with a population of over 1 million people. It was established at the beginning of 2021 through the merger of Districts 2, 9, and Thu Duc. It is expected to act as a major nucleus, contributing one-third of Ho Chi Minh City’s total GRDP, equivalent to 7 per cent of national GDP.