(VNF) - Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) and the Japanese city of Osaka on September 6^th signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on supporting the Vietnamese city in developing a low-carbon city for the 2016-2020 periods.

HCMC chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong (middle and right) shakes hands with Mayor of Osaka City Hirofumi Yoshimura (Photo: thesaigontimes.vn)

Under the MoU signed with HCMC, Osaka city will help the Vietnamese partner make plans on climate change response, energy saving, reduction of negative impacts during production. Besides, the Japanese city will also help train personnel in management and implementation of climate change response programs and build projects on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Osaka and HCMC have built an effective cooperation mechanism, HCMC chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong told the signing ceremony of the MoU on developing the low-carbon city in the 2016-2020 periods.

Mr. Phong suggested Osaka assist HCMC in developing human resources to carry out climate change adaptation programs and implementing projects to reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions so that the city can move toward a low-carbon economy.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, mayor of Osaka City, said the two cities have cooperated in the environment and water treatment since 2011. In the coming time, Osaka will help the city upgrade its water supply and drainage systems, execute climate change adaptation programs, and cut carbon emissions.

“Osaka has gained much experience in the environment, so the city wants to support HCMC to solve its environmental and social issues,” Mr. Yoshimura said.

Since 2011, the two cities have held exchanges and closely cooperated on environmental protection and water treatment. HCMC is going to deploy several projects on carbon emission reduction by generating energy from waste in Binh Dien market with a capacity of 40 to 60 tons of waste per day, a Japanese company-run waste-to-energy project with a capacity of 150 to 500 tons per day, an urban sewage treatment and a rain water use project. HCMC will focus more on treating wastewater and collecting rainwater.

Currently, HCMC can only treat 13.2 per cent of wastewater discharged from households. The city is calling for investment in a dozen wastewater treatment plants able to handle three million cubic meters of wastewater per day./.

Minh Phuong