25 October 2012: The World Bank is contributing US$ 50 million to the Industrial Pollution Management Project in Viet Nam. The funding will support enforcement of water quality regulations, including wastewater treatment in the industrialized provinces of Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Dong Nai and Ba Ria Vung Tau.

The project includes a review of Viet Nam’s legal and regulatory frameworks for water quality management and will construct at least eight wastewater treatment plants. The project is being funded through a concessional funding window for low-income developing countries, the International Development Association (IDA). Aiming to address the estimated one million tonnes of wastewater discharged per day into water bodies in industrial zones without treatment, the project objectives include improving environmental sustainability. [World Bank Press Release]