(Chinhphu.vn) - On the afternoon of October 13, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung inspected two key HCMC projects on-site for flood control, environmental improvement, urban renovation, and climate change adaptation.
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and HCMC Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang inspecting on-site the Project "Solving tidal flooding in HCMC area, taking into consideration climate change factors – Phase 1" - Photo: chinhphu.vn/Nhat Bac
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Accompanying him were Comrade Tran Luu Quang, Politburo Member, Party Secretary of HCMC; Members of the Party Central Committee: Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong, Chairman of HCMC People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc; alongside leaders of ministries, sectors, and localities.
Projects inspected included the infrastructure construction and environmental renovation project for Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len Canal, and the project to solve tidal flooding in the HCMC area, taking into consideration climate change factors.
The Project "Solving tidal flooding in HCMC area, taking into consideration climate change factors – Phase 1" is one of the largest-scale water infrastructure works in HCMC. The project is constructed based on master plans approved by the Prime Minister, ensuring synchronization between stormwater flood protection and tidal control.
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung conducting a field inspection of the Project "Solving tidal flooding in HCMC area, taking into consideration climate change factors – Phase 1" - Photo: chinhphu.vn/Nhat Bac
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With a total investment capital of VND 10,000 billion under a BT contract invested by Trungnam Group, the project builds 6 large gate valve sluice systems, 2 small sluices at major river mouths in central HCMC, and approximately 7 km of dykes/embankments at critical basin locations, combined with a high-capacity pumping system. An executive building, monitoring, and automated control system was constructed to serve supervision and operational regulation for the entire work.
The project commenced in 2016 and was scheduled for completion in 2018; however, construction stalled multiple times due to legal hurdles and investor payment mechanisms. To resolve obstacles, competent authorities issued numerous guidelines, conclusions, and mechanism decisions, including Resolution No. 16/2026/NQ-CP, Resolution No. 212/NQ-CP, National Assembly Resolution No. 260/2025/QH15, and Decree No. 257/2025/ND-CP.
Overall project progress has reached over 95%, with 1,500 personnel currently mobilized in a determined push toward the finish line in November 2026.
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Project "Solving tidal flooding in HCMC area, taking into consideration climate change factors – Phase 1" - Photo: chinhphu.vn/Nhat Bac
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Upon completion, the project is expected to help prevent tidal surges, proactively adapt to climate change across a 570 km² area benefiting approximately 6.5 million residents along the right bank of the Saigon River and central HCMC; proactively regulate water level drawdowns in canals to improve drainage capacity for urban drainage projects and support rainwater storage during combined rainfall and high tides; combine riverbank erosion prevention while contributing to urban landscape and environmental enhancement, raising living standards for citizens; and guarantee inland waterway transport requirements. The structure also aims to restrict saltwater intrusion into inner canal networks within the control zone.
Beneficiaries cover numerous central and southern wards of the City, such as Saigon, Tan Dinh, Ben Thanh, Cau Ong Lanh, Xom Chieu, Khanh Hoi, Vinh Hoi, Tan Thuan, Phu Thuan, Tan My, Tan Hung, Chanh Hung, Phu Dinh, Binh Dong; alongside Nha Be, Hiep Phuoc, Tan Nhut, Binh Chanh, Hung Long, and Binh Hung communes.
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and HCMC Party Secretary Tran Luu Quang listening to a report on the infrastructure construction and environmental renovation project for Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len Canal - Photo: chinhphu.vn/Nhat Bac
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Meanwhile, the infrastructure construction and environmental renovation project for Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len Canal represents the longest canal renovation project in the City, carrying a total investment of approximately VND 9,030 billion from central and local budget funds. The total route length and transport corridor along the embankment span over 63 km.
The project is entering an acceleration phase with executed volume reaching around 80% and disbursement at nearly 75%. Construction packages are being deployed simultaneously, focusing on roads, sidewalks, canal embankments, and road surface completion. To date, approximately 62 km of embankment lines have reached completion and 48 km of transport roads along both sides of the canal have opened to traffic.
The project owner is concentrating on resolving difficulties and mobilizing resources to strive for basic completion of approved project scope items by late 2026.
According to reports from the Ministry of Finance, across the first 9 months of 2026, the City's public investment capital disbursement reached 75.5%, higher than the national average of 62.9%. One of the key solutions for the City to boost public investment disbursement is focusing full force on key projects and works.
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Prime Minister Le Minh Hung presenting gifts to the construction unit of the infrastructure construction and environmental renovation project for Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len Canal - Photo: chinhphu.vn/Nhat Bac
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Currently, rapid population growth in the City alongside urbanization rates is placing immense pressure on technical infrastructure, particularly drainage and wastewater treatment infrastructure amid increasingly complex climate change developments.
It is known that for the 2026-2030 period, HCMC plans to thoroughly resolve urban flood points across the City, striving to reduce flood damage by 50%; digitize data at vulnerable locations; achieve an urban wastewater collection rate of around 80%, and a treated urban wastewater rate meeting standards of 40%-45%.
Source: Chinhphu Newspaper