Vietnamese women will benefit from NIRAS capabilities in comprehensive water planning (HELVA) at a new, local pilot projectExploiting Synergies between Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and Urban Farming in Vinh Yen, Vietnam – such is the title of HELVAs first international project.

Local women in Vinh Yen will be involved in an urban farming initiative, where water for the vegetables will come from a SUDS system (local drainage of rain water, which is picked up locally, instead of being discharged into the sewer).

The project will run for 2.5 years and has a budget of approximately 500.000 EUR, of which about 63.000 EUR will be allocated to constructing the pilot project.

Preventing floods

The purpose of the project is to make the urban area more resilient to flooding, but also to benefit the local community’s social resilience by giving local women the opportunity to grow vegetables, herbs and spices.

“We hope that a low-budget system like this can inspire other local authorities and the local population to build SUDS systems that do not require large investments, but will add value to the local population,” says Morten Pedersen from water and utility division VAFO in NIRAS.

The project also hope to inspire similar solutions in the rest of Vietnam.

”The project and its ideas have potential for wide application in Viet Nam given the increasing flooding situation and heat island in cities due to both climate change and rapid urbanization. Willingness of the public and local authorities as well as innovative mechanisms for maintaining such a system play a crucial role in the sustainability and success of the project, “ says Luu Duc Cuong from the Ministry of Construction in Vietnam.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

NIRAS won the project in an international competition at Nordic Climate Facility (NCF), which is organized under the Nordic Development Nordic Development Fund (NDF). The project is a result of an interdisciplinary collaboration between:

• Morten Pedersen, water and utility, NIRAS
• Anja Wejs, water and energy, NIRAS
• NIRAS Vietnam (RCCE)
• Vietnam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning (VIUP) and
• Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction
• The City of Vinh Yen