Many infrastructure development projects and works

The Tan An - Tan Hau 1 Hamlet Traffic Dike Project, Tan Trung Commune (Mo Cay Nam) was built with AMD Project capital.

Investing in rural areas

Mr. Ngo Van Dung - a resident in the project area, benefiting from the Tan An - Tan Hau 1 hamlet traffic dike project (Tan Trung commune, Mo Cay Nam district) expressed: "The Tan An - Tan Hau 1 hamlet traffic dike project was completed in 2020 and has been effective. Currently, our coconut gardens yield from 30 - 40 fruits/cong of land, now it has increased to 100 - 150 fruits/cong of land, the price of coconuts is also better, because it is easy to transport...".

The Tan An - Tan Hau 1 hamlet traffic dike project, with a length of more than 1.6km, was supported by the Mekong Delta Climate Change Adaptation Project (AMD) in Ben Tre (AMD) with funding for investment in concreting. The project was put into use in 2020, with a total cost of 2.6 billion VND, of which the people contributed 450 million VND, the rest was funded by AMD. Chairman of Tan Trung Commune People's Committee Le Van Dung shared: "Since its construction, the road has helped prevent salinity and store fresh water. The road surface is wide, vehicles from 4 to 16 wheels can circulate conveniently. The local government has recognized that the lives of people in the project area have increasingly improved thanks to increased coconut output and better coconut prices."

According to IFAD statistics, the AMD project implemented from 2014 to 2020 in 30 communes in 8 districts of the province has had positive impacts on the lives of people in rural areas. The total budget of the project during this period was 24.66 million USD, including: IFAD loan of 11 million USD, non-refundable aid of 6 million USD, contribution from the Government of Vietnam of 3.78 million USD, and contribution from beneficiaries of 3.88 million USD.

At the end of the AMD project, according to IFAD's assessment, the total number of beneficiaries from the project was 217,914 people. Of which, 27,206 were women and 13,174 were poor. Notably, the "Commune-level Investment Fund" of the project alone implemented 71 small-scale infrastructure projects for the commune, helping to reduce risks and adapt to climate change. The 71 projects mentioned above, converted into products, yielded: a total of 51km of roads and combined dike roads; 18km of dikes; 3km of irrigation canals; 1 reinforced embankment; 8 culverts; 3 water supply systems with a total length of 43km; 2 drainage systems, with a total length of 2.3km. At the same time, the project also equipped 1,228 domestic water tanks for 10 project communes most severely affected by the saltwater intrusion in late 2015 and early 2016. There were 13,079 households benefiting directly and 11,443 households benefiting indirectly.

Continued funding

From 2008 to present, the province has been funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through 3 phases: Business Development Project with the Rural Poor (DBRP) phase 2008 - 2014; AMD project phase 2014 - 2020 and Project on Developing Smart Agricultural Value Chains Adapting to Climate Change in the Province (CSAT) phase 2023 - 2027. To date, the province has completed 2 projects, 1 project is being implemented.

According to IFAD's records in the period 2008 - 2014, for the DBRP project implemented in the province, the total implementation cost was 22.1 million USD (74% IFAD loan capital, 11% contribution from the Government of Vietnam, the rest is the contribution of beneficiaries). The goal of the project is to improve the lives of the rural poor in a sustainable way, increasing the ability to participate in business activities. One of the contents that helps the province develop rural infrastructure from the DBRP project is the Commune Investment Fund (CIF). Because, 90% of the CIF Fund is used to complete and put into use 432 works. Specifically, there are 344.8km of rural roads, 505m of bridges, ^15,219m2 of market construction, 5,100m of irrigation canals. These works serve 284,898 people.

Not stopping there, from 2023 - 2027, IFAD's CSAT project will continue to help the province's rural areas thrive, with the goal of: Supporting sustainable agricultural development adapting to climate change in the Mekong Delta in the province, according to Resolution No. 120/NQ-CP of the Government on sustainable development of the Mekong Delta adapting to climate change. IFAD continues to invest in the province, with a total budget of 27 million USD, of which, IFAD loan capital is 17 million USD; non-refundable aid capital is 4.5 million USD; local counterpart capital is 5.5 million USD.

The CSAT project has been investing in many climate change adaptation infrastructures for the province such as: roads, bridges, culverts, dredging canals, dykes, combined dykes with traffic... Up to now, there are 35 projects completed in 2023, 30 projects in 2024 are being implemented and 13 projects in 2025 are preparing documents and procedures for implementation.

“IFAD’s projects have helped develop the local socio-economy, especially in rural areas. Thereby, contributing to poverty reduction and improving people’s lives in the province. In the upcoming strategy, it is recommended that IFAD pay attention to funding infrastructure construction to develop the marine economy in Vietnam, including Ben Tre, so that the province can expand its development space…”.

(Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Truc Son)

Article and photos: Thach Thao

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/nhieu-cong-trinh-du-an-phat-trien-ha-tang-04042025-a144665.html