The Viet Nam Climate Resilient Municipalities Project

The Viet Nam Climate Resilient Municipalities (VNCRM) project is a five-year collaboration implemented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with multiple partners in Viet Nam including the Viet Nam Institute for Urban Planning  of the Ministry of Construction, and other local partners, and funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Through decentralized cooperation and peer learning, municipal teams from Canada and Viet Nam will work together to strengthen:

• Climate-smart infrastructure and asset management
• Inclusive and gender-responsive public services
• Plastic waste reduction and solid waste systems, including through EPR
• Community engagement, especially with women-led organizations

WHY VIET NAM?

Viet Nam faces some of the world’s most urgent urban climate risks.
With more than 3,260 km of coastline, rising seas, frequent floods, and intensifying heatwaves are placing growing pressure on urban areas—especially on their infrastructure and most vulnerable communities.

Viet Nam loses an estimated US$10 billion annually to climate impacts—over 3% of its GDP.
Plastic waste also poses a mounting challenge, clogging waterways and accelerating urban flooding. Women, the elderly, and low-income households are especially vulnerable.

These challenges offer a unique opportunity for peer learning and joint action on inclusive, climate-resilient governance. Canadian municipal expertise in service delivery, planning, and asset management is uniquely relevant. By partnering with Vietnamese cities through FCM, municipalities can make a measurable difference—while learning from peers facing similar realities.

WHAT WILL THE PROJECT DELIVER?

Through partnerships with four provinces and their priority urban areas in three Vietnamese regions, the VNCRM project will support locally led work on: 

Improved climate-resilient, gender-responsive and inclusive infrastructure asset management

• Train and support up to 1,200 local officials on climate-smart asset management
• Review municipal data systems, risk assessments, and capacity gaps
• Support nature-based solutions such as shoreland restoration and urban greening
• Pilot nature-based infrastructure upgrades to enhance climate resilience

 Improved Solid Waste Management (SWM)

• Work with Vietnamese urban regions in aligning SWM systems with national environmental laws
• Support the transition to a functioning EPR system
• Engage marginalized women, particularly those already involved in waste collection, in planning and policy

Empowered Women and Local Organizations

• Build capacity of 150+ staff in community-based organizations, especially women-led
• Support advocacy, leadership, and project participation
• Provide targeted training and peer learning opportunities

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR CANADA?

The Viet Nam Climate Resilient Municipalities (VNCRM) project directly supports Canada’s international development priorities and brings tangible benefits to Canadian municipalities and stakeholders. By fostering decentralized cooperation through peer-to-peer partnerships, the project contributes to Canada’s global presence, influence, and long-term development goals in the Indo-Pacific region. It also provides a unique opportunity for Canadian municipal leaders to engage globally while enhancing their own capacity and learning.

This project contributes to Canada’s interests in the following ways:

• Supporting Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and commitment to building a sustainable, green, and resilient Indo-Pacific by promoting high-quality infrastructure and strengthening regional partnerships.
• Implementing the Feminist International Assistance Policy which will help empower women and girls by supporting their participation in climate resilience and solid waste management planning through women-led and community-based organizations.
• Reinforcing Canada’s longstanding cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in disaster risk management and sustainable urban development.
• Enabling Canadian municipalities to share technical expertise in asset management, climate adaptation, and inclusive governance while learning from their Vietnamese counterparts.
• Offering Canadian practitioners hands-on international experience that leads to innovative solutions, new perspectives, and professional growth—both abroad and at home.

“Although Canada and Viet Nam are on opposite sides of the world, our climate change challenges are similar. We can learn from each other on how to build more resilient communities..”
— Sean Lee, Assistant Director - Engineering & Operations, City of Fredericton