Vietnam’s urban areas are facing a series of challenges including climate change issues and income during their development.

A part of Hanoi (Photo: UN-HABITAT)

In Vietnam, urban areas have over 30% of households living in houses of less than 36 square metres. In addition, urban areas also have to deal with challenges including the gap of incomes, environmental degradation, food security and other issues.

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic right of all, to adequate shelter.

The United Nations chose the this year’s theme “Better City, Better Life” to highlight the collective vision of a sustainable urban world that harnesses the potential and possibilities, mitigates inequalities and disparities, and provides a home for people of all cultures and ages, both rich and poor.

According to the “State of Asian cities report in 2010” under the programme of UN-HABITAT, the rate of urbanisation in Asia is 42.4%.

In Vietnam, the urbanisation rate is 30.4% and the urban population is about 27 million people. This number is expected to go up by 50% before 2040. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of urban areas is about 12.6%. It accounts for nearly 70% of the whole country’s GDP. Vietnamese urban areas are playing a vital role for the economic development of the entire country.

However, the fast urbanisation pace also has caused many big challenges to lives of civilians such as increasing inequalities of incomes between urban and rural areas as well as between city dwellers.

The average growth rate of population is about 3% per year, putting much pressure on infrastructure systems of cities and habitat supply for residents.

New housing projects are often designated for a group of habitants with high incomes. Thus, habitat conditions of thousands of households working in different economic sectors do not meet basic standards in urban areas.

Over 30% of households cover less than 36 square metres. Only 25% of households live in well-built houses while 19% of homes are in poor condition.

About 15-20% of households working in different economic sectors in urban areas are having difficulties with accommodation. Industrialisation as well as the remarkable increase in construction activities and transportation vehicles have impacted on environment, cultural relics of urban areas, food security as well as the ability of cities to respond to the climate changes.

An international conference titled “Hanoi Millenium – City Past and Future” will take place on October 12 and 13 in Hanoi. It will be jointly organised by the People’s Committee of Hanoi, the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, Globalization Research Center, University of Hawaii and UN-HABITAT.