Royal HaskoningDHV Develops Master Plan for the Mekong Delta

Dutch-based Royal HaskoningDHV has been selected to deliver the first integrated Master Plan for the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, funded by the World Bank. The plan will set out development orientations and spatial planning across different disciplines in the Mekong Delta to 2030, with a further view towards 2050. Digitally based decision-making is a critical component of this future-focused plan.

Trade Mission

An official signing ceremony took place on 9 April, witnessed by Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, both visiting the country as part of a trade mission, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Trinh Dinh Dung.

Import and Export Hub

The Mekong Delta is essential to Vietnam’s economy, as an import and export hub for the country’s agricultural industry. Ongoing building and expansion will also add to the pressure on natural resources. The geographical situation of the Mekong Delta renders it highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, flooding during the wet season and water shortages during the dry season.

Clean Water and Sanitation

The overall purpose behind the plan is to build a resilient Mekong delta and help countries like Vietnam make climate-smart choices which are long-term, integrated and adaptive. Priorities within this will be to deliver clean water and sanitation for all and taking urgent action to combat climate change.

Database and Analytical Tools

The project also involves the creation of a ‘digital decision support toolkit’ to promote an evidence-based planning approach in driving future direction. This will be pulled together into a real-time automatic information hub supporting a decision-making process with transparent, visualized information for all stakeholders. This is because the toolkit includes a sophisticated database and analytical tools such as hydro-hydraulic modelling software.

Climate Change

Thang Doan, Director of the Water Advisory Group within Royal HaskoningDHV in Vietnam, said “The Ministry of Planning and Investment has long recognized the vital role of water as a key natural resource in the ongoing development of the Mekong Delta, as well as the significant threats posed by climate change.”