One of the most beautiful sights in Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi is the large number of lakes and streams dotted around the city. The more than 100 small and large lakes are an icon, part of the local culture and benefiting Hanoi’s tourism. The lakes also provide environmental benefits like regulating city floods and providing quiet and green spaces for the city residents. But rapid urbanization is resulting in pollution, encroachment and degradation that is threatening the lakes. Without urgent and concerted action, the city’s lakes may become mostly dumps for rubbish and affect the health and livelihoods of the city’s residents and the scenic beauty of Hanoi.
Stemming the rising tide: Flooding and local lives in HCMC
As climate change intensifies, urban citizens in coastal cities of Southeast Asia are facing more regular and more severe flooding. In this article, Quynh May shares some of the daily challenges of people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam who are struggling to have a normal life while facing flooding. She asks what should be done?
Vietnam’s urbanization and agricultural land acquisition: State and farmers lose, who wins?
In Vietnam, the “Land for Infrastructure” policy attracts private investment into public infrastructure by promising land for private investment. At the Ecopark project near Hanoi, whilst the project’s developer has profited handsomely, farmers’ land was taken with inadequate compensation leaving them with few prospects for the future.
The Mekong region’s urban future: Why learning from a rural lifestyle could build sustainable cities
Urbanization in the Mekong Region is transforming societies that were once dependent upon agricultural production. This article explores how some urban inhabitants have not fully let go of their rural traditions, raising the question can such wisdom bring a more sustainable lifestyle to urban areas?
Seeking World Bank accountability on Boeung Kak Lake
The community living around Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh, Cambodia have been fighting eviction by developers who wish to fill up the lake and turn it into a luxury urban development. This article outlines how members of the community took on the powerful World Bank and eventually put a stop to the eviction.
Inspiring the urban farming movement in Bangkok
The urban farming movement in Thailand has grown rapidly over the past five years. In this article, we interview Nakorn Limpacuptathavon, a young and committed urban farmer who has been a central figure in the movement. He talks about the “City Farm Project” and the urban transformation it is catalyzing.