Aid helps Hai Phong become a model environmental city

Update: 21/04/2009
Japan has just signed an agreement to help Hai Phong become a model city in the country for environmental management and sustainable development. The agreement was signed last Friday between the chairman of Hai Phong’s People’s Committee and the mayor of Kitakyushu, Japan.

"We hope to contribute further to the sustainable development of Hai Phong and that Hai Phong will become the model environmental city of Viet Nam," said Motonori Tsuno, the chief representative of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in Viet Nam.

"Kitakyushu City is one of the most active cities in Japan for international environmental co-operation, and hence we have had extensive partnerships both in financial and technical assistance to other countries such as China," said Tsuno.

Kitakyushu is a port city located in Fukuoka Prefecture and is renowned for its successful fight against pollution.

This heavily industrialised city was once one of the most polluted cities in Japan in the 1960s and 70s. However, after many years of proper environmental management by the city government and the participation of citizens, in 2008, the city was certified by the Japanese government as a "Model Environmental City."

Source: Vietnam News