Gia Nghia and the goal of green, sustainable urban areas

Gia Nghia City (Dak Nong) is on the journey to build and develop a green, smart, and sustainable urban area.

Gia Nghia, the political, economic and cultural center of Dak Nong province, is gradually realizing its aspiration to become a sustainable green city in the middle of the Central Highlands.

As the youngest urban area in Vietnam, Gia Nghia possesses unique natural advantages and is effectively utilizing those potentials to build the image of an urban area with "forests in the city, cities in the forest".

Colors of the young city of Gia Nghia in the Central Highlands

With a natural area of over 284km² and a population of over 73,580 people, Gia Nghia is not only a bright spot in Dak Nong's socio-economic development strategy, but also a typical model for the combination of conservation and sustainable development.

Gia Nghia is blessed with fertile red basalt soil, a temperate climate and a typical terrain of bowl-shaped hills. The city also has a rich system of lakes, streams and waterfalls, creating a fresh and cool living space all year round.

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Gia Nghia City has about 300 lakes, streams, waterfalls and large and small hydroelectric dams surrounding the city, creating a harmonious natural picture of rivers and water.

Dak R'tih Hydroelectric Lake, with a water surface area of over 1,000 hectares, stretches across three central wards, acting as the giant "lungs" of the city.

In addition, large lakes such as the central lake, upper lake, lower lake or famous waterfalls such as Lien Nung waterfall, Co Tien waterfall and Anna waterfall also create unique attraction.

Chairman of Gia Nghia City People's Committee, Mr. Do Tan Suong, affirmed: "The advantages of natural landscape are a solid foundation for us to move towards building a green, smart and sustainable urban area. Gia Nghia is proud to be one of the rare urban areas with abundant fresh water resources, contributing to creating an ideal living environment for people".

Since 2020, Gia Nghia City has strongly implemented tree planting programs. With more than 21,380 trees planted, the city has increased the total number of trees in the area to 27,700.

The city currently manages 11 parks and flower gardens with a total area of over 15 hectares, contributing to creating a green space and ecological balance.

Gia Nghia is exploiting the special advantages of its bowl-shaped terrain to develop green urban areas.

In particular, Gia Nghia focuses on planting native trees typical of the Central Highlands such as pine, black star, cajuput, purple crape myrtle and yellow phoenix. This is a way to preserve the local ecosystem, while creating a unique highlight, different from other urban areas in the country.

Thanks to the dense green tree system and large water surface area, the average temperature of Gia Nghia City ranges from 23-26°C, providing a fresh and cool living environment.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Son, Deputy General Secretary of the Association of Vietnamese Cities, commented: “I have visited 130 cities across the country, but Gia Nghia is the place that left the deepest impression. The persistence and firmness in managing and preserving natural lakes in the heart of the city is a testament to the long-term vision and sense of responsibility of the local government.”

Along with building a green city, Gia Nghia also aims to become a smart city. In 2024, Dak Nong province put into operation the Intelligent Operation Monitoring Center (IOC).

The center is located in Gia Nghia City and acts as the brain for data management in many important areas, including transportation, security, education, healthcare and public services in the area.

This center not only helps improve management efficiency, but also improves the quality of public services, bringing optimal convenience to people and businesses.

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In Gia Nghia City, there are 103 deposit and withdrawal points; 201 points accepting non-cash payments; nearly 20% of people have electronic payment accounts.

Gia Nghia has invested in renovating the public lighting system with energy-saving LED technology on 53 routes, and built 867 new modern lighting poles.

These efforts not only help reduce energy costs but also demonstrate a strong commitment to responding to climate change and building green cities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Son, Deputy General Secretary of the Association of Vietnamese Cities visited the product booth of Gia Nghia City.

Chairman of Gia Nghia City People's Committee, Mr. Do Tan Suong, shared: "Gia Nghia has early identified a strategy for developing a smart and sustainable urban area. We not only focus on infrastructure but also promote the application of digital technology to promote the image of people and the city, attracting tourists and investors."

Gia Nghia City is calling for and implementing 9 non-budget investment projects, with a total area of 258 hectares, and an estimated investment capital of VND2,567 billion. The city has registered 15 more projects calling for investment, with a total capital of up to VND74,257 billion.

In recent years, Gia Nghia City has combined green urban development with eco-tourism, resorts and cultural preservation of indigenous ethnic groups such as M'nong, Ma, and Ede.

This is not only a way to promote traditional values, but also opens up new economic development opportunities, based on sustainable and community tourism.

The suspension bridge in Dak R'moan commune, Gia Nghia city is one of the attractive check-in spots that attracts tourists.

Gia Nghia aims to achieve the standards of a type II urban area by 2030, with the criteria of green, clean, beautiful, civilized and modern. The city also commits to not trading natural resources for development, maintaining the core values that make up its own identity.

Gia Nghia City's infrastructure is developing, contributing to the realization of a green, smart, and sustainable urban area.

In addition, Gia Nghia continues to reform administration, improve land management efficiency and accelerate digital transformation. The city is gradually building e-government, creating favorable conditions for people and businesses to access online public services.

Chairman of Gia Nghia City People's Committee, Mr. Do Tan Suong, affirmed: "We are confident in our sustainable direction. Gia Nghia is not only a young city, but also a symbol of harmonious development between people and nature."

A beautiful lyrical corner in Dak R'moan commune, Gia Nghia city

With steady progress, Gia Nghia is striving to become a model green urban area of Vietnam. The efforts of the government and people will continue to create a modern Gia Nghia, but still retain the pristine beauty of the Central Highlands - a true "forest in the city, city in the forest" urban area.

Content: Thanh Nga
Photo: Ngo Minh Phuong
Presented by: Phong Vu