THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

DA Nang's path to sustainable growth

DA Nang's path to sustainable growth

In June, the central city of Da Nang approved a plan to increase green space from 5 per cent to 10 per cent along the banks of the Han River.

In addition, projects that encroach on the riverbanks will be rejected by the city. Development along the banks of the river has been disorderly and ill-managed, according to city authorities.

The city has hired a foreign consultant to devise a development strategy for the river banks.

Since 2014, police in 45 city precincts have used bicycles for their daily patrol following a programme that debuted in 2012, making it the first in Vietnam to promote the use of environmentally friendly vehicles by law enforcement officials.

"We have provided 235 bicycles for local police officers working in 45 precincts since 2012 as a way to enhance the capabilities of officers. Bikes are agile and easy to navigate and have created a more friendly dynamic between police officers and local residents," said Senior Lt-Colonel Tran Phuoc Phuong, from the city’s Public Security Department.

"The department encourages them to be widely used by local police officers to provide an example for police forces around Vietnam. Of course, it depends on proper areas and tasks," he said.

Lt-Colonel Nguyen Van Tien, , head of Hai Chau 2 precinct in the downtown Hai Chau district, said bicycles made patrols easier in small areas with dense populations.

"It helps us to move easily and promotes a friendly manner among police officers and local people. The community will see us as friends and they provide me with more information. It also helps us carry out daily activities in order to keep the city clean and healthy," Tien said.

Da Nang city also employs the use of battery-powered cars for tourists travelling along coastal roads such as Hoang Sa, Truong Sa and Vo Nguyen Giap.

The city, the fifth largest in Vietnam, has taken up the challenge of managing rapid expansion without drastically increasing its levels of energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2008, the city made a commitment to lower carbon urban development by adopting a city environmental plan. It will now translate that proposal into action through the Sustainable Urban Energy and Emissions Planning (SUEEP) process, which will provide a framework to help cities mobilise financing and carry out a series of investments in energy efficiency and green infrastructure.

According to the World Bank, the city will embark on an ambitious environmental initiative through a series of targeted investments in energy efficiency and green infrastructure in the wake of predictions that its population will double to 1.65 million by 2020.

Da Nang was one of three pilot cities for SUEEP in the East Asia/Pacific region, along with Cebu City, Philippines and Surabaya, Indonesia. The preliminary findings from audits of these cities informed the design of the SUEEP guidebook, which provides a comprehensive framework and step-by-step guidance to help cities develop their own energy and emissions plan.

With funding from the Asia Sustainable and Alternative Energy Program (ASTAE), Da Nang is currently applying the SUEEP report findings.

"SUEEP’s tools helped us analyse the city’s energy and emissions profile, determine targets for reduction, and identify investment opportunities for energy efficiency projects," said Nguyen Dinh Phuc, deputy director of Da Nang’s Department of Industry and Trade.

"The Green Business Plan, for instance, identified a long list of project initiatives, which was then reduced to a shortlist following a screening assessment based on the city’s capacity, priorities and relative benefits. We are now looking at five projects that have strong energy and emissions reduction potential as well as being attractive to private investment," said Nguyen, who is also chairman of the city’s Energy and Emissions Task Force.

Of the five projects, energy efficient LED street lighting has made the most progress. The pilot project targets 6,000 light posts, which account for 10 per cent of the city’s street lighting. Through this project, replacing inefficient mercury vapour lighting with energy-efficient LEDs would reduce energy used for public lighting by 67 per cent and save an estimated US$290,000 (Bt10.18 million) annually in energy and maintenance costs.

With these savings, the project would pay off its $1.6-million investment in a little over six years. The transition to LED lighting would also mean automated control of lighting, and better quality, more reliable, and lower maintenance units. Philips Lighting, a global manufacturer of lighting, is currently evaluating the costs and technical feasibility of the project with Da Nang Public Lighting Operations and Management Company. If successful, the pilot will be followed by a scaled-up, citywide plan involving other private investors.

Another proposed SUEEP project is a sewage and sludge treatment facility. Household septic systems in Da Nang generate about 62,000 cubic meters of waste per year, the majority of which is disposed of illegally and improperly, creating environmental and health problems for the city’s residents.

The proposed project would develop a pilot public-private partnership where one private operator collects, transports and treats the organic waste at the treatment facility.

The facility would have a capacity of treating 500 cubic meters per day.

In addition to the benefits of a cleaner environment, properly treated sludge can be used for fertiliser or ash for construction and methane gas for electricity generation. A later phase of the project would upgrade the facility with anaerobic technology for electricity generation. Da Nang is currently determining the financial and political viability of the project.

The other SUEEP projects, which are in the feasibility study stage of development, include a proposal to tap Da Nang’s solar potential by developing a private solar power supply for industry and commerce. South Central Vietnam has strong solar power generation potential, but only 3 MW of solar arrays have so far been installed in Vietnam, compared with 362 MW in Thailand.

To determine the project’s feasibility, Da Nang will need to conduct a market survey of commercial and industrial demand for renewable energy and further research estimates of solar potential and future electricity prices.

The final project proposes to double the number of bus lines in Da Nang, introducing five additional routes with 92 new buses to expand higher quality bus services to the city. Limited routes and poor quality service and infrastructure have led to low bus usage.

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