The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Vietnam's Ministry of Construction and the Vietnam Urban and Regional Planning Association launched the Vietnam Climate Resilient Municipalities (VNCRM) project in Hanoi on September 30.
Delegates at the event (Photo: Canadian Embassy in Vietnam).
The five-year project is worth CAD 9.8 million (USD 6.8 million) and is funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The project will connect Canadian and Vietnamese municipalities to exchange practical experience and develop locally appropriate approaches to shared challenges, including climate-resilient infrastructure, urban infrastructure management and integrated solid waste management, with a focus on reducing plastic waste.
Brittany Merrifield, mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield, Canada, and a representative of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' board, said the project would enable Canadian and Vietnamese municipalities to share practical experience and identify climate solutions that can be adapted to local needs.
She said the Canada-Vietnam Strategic Partnership reflected the two countries' shared ambition to strengthen cooperation in priority areas, including climate resilience, sustainable growth and economic development.
Speaking at the launch, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel said the VNCRM project showed how the two countries were turning shared commitments into practical cooperation by drawing on expertise and innovation from both sides to address common challenges and promote more sustainable, inclusive and resilient urban development.
The project will be implemented in Quang Ninh, Danang, Lam Dong and Dong Thap through pilot initiatives designed to generate practical lessons that can be replicated across Vietnam's urban system.
It will also promote greater participation by women and vulnerable groups in climate adaptation activities, including community engagement and waste-management initiatives.
The launch came just days after Vietnam and Canada upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. In their September 24 joint statement, the two countries highlighted the VNCRM project as an example of cooperation on climate-resilient infrastructure and urban waste management, as well as an opportunity to showcase Canadian technologies and solutions.
The project is scheduled to run until March 2030 and is being implemented by FCM in partnership with the Vietnam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning under the Ministry of Construction and other Vietnamese partners.