Sustainable Development In Practice: Sanitation & Urban Upgrading Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Le Dieu Anh, PCHCMC - Benoit Legrand, BTC ECOSOC - 2 July 2008

Principles of the program Sustainable development Balance between social, economic development & environmental protection Spatial dimension Ecology SpaceSocio-Eco A challenge to implementation

Vietnam Fast growing low income country of 84,4 mi. inhabitants Fast urban growth around 3 poles Important environment pressures

Ho Chi Minh City Axis of development Economic heart of the country > 6.15 mi. inhab mi. migrants Characteristics of mega-city > Ecology: flooding, pollution > Socio-eco: increased inequalities > Urban management: anarchic urban growth, lack infrastructure, encroaching slums, lack of social housing

D. 6 - Encroaching slum & pollution along the canal before the program

Tan Hoa Lo Gom program Bilateral Cooperation between Vietnam & Belgium – mi. USD Holistic & participatory approach Support from highest city authorities Cross sector with pilot projects Institutional capacity building 5 main components 1.Solid waste 2.Wastewater treatment 3.Canal embankment & widening 4.Housing for the poor 5.Social & economic activities

1. Solid waste Waste collection Reorganisation Equipment Awareness campaigns Organize transfer to landfill through small stransfer station > From 60%/HH coverage up to 92% > Duplicate by the city on 25 sites

2. Wastewater treatment Treatment by aeration & stabilization ponds technology Maintains & structures a large open space within fast growing & uncontrolled periphery Linear park along the buffer zones Urban front structured through the site & services project > Excellent water quality after treatment with low running costs but requires large area of land

3. Canal embankment Canal widening to increase water flow & allow boat navigation Road & walkway along canal > Improves city facility & limits flooding but implies large number of evictions

4. Housing for the poor In situ relocation Participatory design Quality of public spaces 1 market & pontoons for boats Loan to buy the apartments > Low level of apartment reselling after 2 years Choice of relocation given to the evicted pop. & experimentation 4.1. Collective buildings

D. 6, W.11 - Apartments along Tan Hoa Lo Gom canal

Provision of infrastructure: water & electric networks, sewerage, concrete alleys, toilets… > Large scale duplication by city (IDA funding) 4.3. In situ slum upgrading 4.2. Site & services Housing for the poor Plots of 40 to 54m² equipped Recreational park & primary school Technical support for housing construction Loan for house > 20% reselling after 2 years

W. BHH. – Inner street

5. Socio-eco activities Socio-eco & in depth surveys Public hearing Consultation > Very commited social workers avoided conflicts & supported the community Participatory design Community site supervision Participation Saving & credits program Vocational training Small business support + training Revised compensations Provision of a market, shops… Socio-eco. support

Strengths & opportunities Institutional aspects Innovative, dissemination of new ideas among pop./local authorities Capacity building during project implementation Implementation Environmental & urban improvement while limiting negative side effects (evictions, impoverishment… ) Design adapted to most of pop. requests Legalization of the migrants & innovative compensations

Challenges Institutional aspects Tension between external expertise & local views/policies/ practices Delays due to complicated decision making process & participation No tradition of ‘horizontal’ coordination & cooperation between ‘vertical’ departments of the city Lack of platform of dialogue between pop./authorities/project Regulations not adapted to experimentation & pro-poor policy Implementation Participatory approach successful but community remains ‘beneficiary’ rather than real ‘actor’ Need of a strong political will to keep the poor close to center & jobs Resettlement solutions have to be affordable for the City but also socially & financially acceptable to the poor

Lessons learned: keys of success Ensure strong support by all authority levels Use comprehensive integrated & participatory approach Take long term approach Consider the role of spatial dimension into sustainable development Build institutional capacities Allow flexibility for experimentation Create a platform for dialogue between project/ authority/ population Exchange experiences & lessons learned with South-partners