JICA finances Ho Chi Minh City’s restoration of old drainage system

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide a grant worth JPY1.882 to Ho Chi Minh City to help Vietnam’s southern economic hub restore old drainage and sewer pipes using trenchless technology.

The Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal system in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
The Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal system in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

The agreement was signed on February 21 between JICA Vietnam head Konaka Tetsuo and Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan.

The project will be implemented by an experienced Japanese company over 24 months and is scheduled to be completed in March 2023.

Rapid urbanisation in Ho Chi Minh City is putting a strain on its drainage system and the rehabilitation of old water pipes built during the French colonial period is a major challenge given the heavy traffic in central areas such Districts 1 and 3.

In 2015 an experimental project using the trenchless technology by the Osaka City Public Works Bureau and Sekisui Chemical helped restore dilapidated pipes at the Cong Quynh-Nguyen Cu Trinh intersection.

The trenchless technology has proved to be an effective method to rehabilitate old pipes at locations with heavy traffic without disrupting lives and damaging road surfaces.

Osaka City will continue provide technical support to Ho Chi Minh City for the upcoming project.

JICA has been supporting Ho Chi Minh City in enhancing its sewage system since 1999 through the formulation of a master plan on the city’s water drainage system until 2020, which includes an already completed project on improving water quality at the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal system.