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Vehicles on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – The World Bank has approved a 224 million USD package for Indonesia’s Mass Transit (MASTRAN) Project. The project is aimed at improving transportation efficiency for Indonesia’s fast-growing urban populations and provide public transportation alternatives to cars and motorbikes. Country Director for World Bank in Indonesia and Timor-Leste Satu Kahkonen said in a press release on June 1 that as almost 60 percent of Indonesia's GDP comes from urban areas, mobility in cities is crucial to ensuring economic competitiveness. "This project will strengthen the collaboration between Indonesia's central and local governments and improve the technical expertise needed to plan and operate urban transport systems. By upgrading the quality of public transport ation, the project will offer alternatives to motorcycles and cars and rein in pollution and congestion," Kahkonen added. In addition to … [Read more...] about WB provides 224 million USD to help Indonesia improve public transport

Senior experts said the new hybrids bring vitality to Vietnam’s coffee industry, which is known being a Robusta grower, not Arabica. Vietnam is known for being the world’s second-largest coffee producer but its coffee farming in decades should be changed by diversifying varieties to boost productivity and quality, experts have said. Coffee plantation in the France-supported project. Photo: CIRAD In this regard, French, European, and Vietnamese scientists have been testing new Arabica coffee varieties (F1 hybrids) in the mountainous areas of the northern provinces of Son La and Dien Bien, home to Arabica coffee, to choose the best kinds that are of both high yield and good taste for large-scale plantation in the future. “Coffee growing in Vietnam dates back thirty years or so. Current varieties are no longer adapted to climate change in the coming years,” said Pierre Marraccini, a researcher at the French Agricultural Research Center for International … [Read more...] about France helps boost coffee yields in Vietnam

Vietnam should focus on accelerating urbanization and the development of a network of national smart cities with links with their peers worldwide. Vietnam’s policies on developing smart cities and promoting digital transformation have played a very significant role in the country's socio-economic development, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission Nguyen Duc Hien said at the Vietnam Sustainable Urban Development Forum 2022 held in Hanoi this week. With the theme “Sustainable urban development towards green, smart cities, adaptation to climate change, prevention, and control of natural disasters and epidemics,” the forum is one of the largest which are held annually on urban sustainable development in Vietnam. An overview of the forum. Photo: Nguyen Ngan The vice chairman noted that developing smart cities in Vietnam have only focused on the application of smart-city services, while issues related to smart urban planning and … [Read more...] about Vietnam eyes smart cities and sustainable urban development

Aerial view of Cần Thơ City in the Mekong Delta region. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang CẦN THƠ — The Mekong Delta region will enjoy robust, breakthrough development in the future, bringing prosperity and happiness through whole-of-system efforts and support from international partners, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said. The Government leader made the remarks as he chaired a conference held Tuesday on the promulgation of the newly launched Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan in the southern city of Cần Thơ, held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment with the theme "Mekong Delta: New thinking – New vision – New opportunities – New values”. The Mekong Delta has many comparative strengths, with its large natural land area of nearly 4 million sq. km (13 per cent of the country’s total) and huge population (18 million, 19 per cent of the country’s total). The region also contributes 12 per cent of the national GDP; 700km of coastal line and 360,000 sq. km of the sea surface and an … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta master plan strives to bring breakthrough development and prosperity to people: PM