Activities - Aus4Transport

Ensuring prosperity: Supporting the development of Vietnam’s transport sector

Activities

Aus4Transport’s goal and expected outcomes are implemented through two streams of activities: Stream A and Stream B..

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Stream A

Facilitating National Transport Projects

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Stream B

Unlocking opportunities through innovation

STREAM A – Facilitating National Transport Projects

Stream A activities provide technical and financial support to the preparation and implementation of Pre-Feasibility Studies (PFS), Feasibility Studies (FS) and Detailed Design and Documentation (DDD) of projects that have been highlighted as a priority by the Vietnamese Government.

Aus4Transport supports these major projects by financing and providing technical expertise as part of the preparatory phase, ensuring application of best international practice. A crucial part of Aus4Transport’s contribution is to ensure that social and environmental aspects related to transport infrastructure projects are comprehensively considered during the design phase.

Ongoing Stream A activities

NMPTCP - Northern Mountains Provinces Transport Connectivity Project - DDD

The Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project (NMPTCP), a collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), is a USD245 million project that aims to improve transport connectivity in the poor provinces of Northwest Viet Nam.

The Project will upgrade two national highways and two provincial roads with approximately 199 km in length, better connecting Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces to the Greater Mekong Subregion economic corridor. The activity will have a direct impact on local livelihoods, providing new opportunities for trade and better access to education and healthcare facilities.

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CHCIP - Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project - DDD

The Central Highlands Connectivity Improvement Project (CHCIP), a collaboration with the World Bank (WB) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), is a USD154 million project contributing to the development of the Asian Highway system through the upgrade of 150 km of National Highway 19 (NH19).

The project will facilitate connection with neighbouring countries and strengthen the transport and logistics connectivity from the Central Highlands to the Central Coastal Provinces. Aus4Transport is funding and directly assisting with the Detailed Engineering Design, the procurement documentation and the environmental and social planning.

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SWLCP - Southern Waterways Logistic Corridor Project - FS and ESAI Update

As part of the Southern Waterways Logistics Corridor (SWLC), a project co- financed by the World Bank and the Government of Vietnam that will upgrade selected sections of the East- West and the North-South Logistic inland waterways corridors in the Mekong Delta network, this activity will update the Feasibility Study (FS) and the Environmental and Social Assessment Instruments (ESAI), which are indispensable pre-construction requirements. The project will respond to the growing transport needs of the area, and will improve connectivity between both, the economic hub at Can Tho and the industrial area of Dong Nai, to the sea import and export port terminals of Ho Chi Minh City and Cai Mep – Thi Vai.

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STREAM B – Unlocking opportunities for innovation

Stream B activities are very diverse and include initiatives that lead to revised policies, updated guidelines, procedures and practices and testing of new concepts. Most of them aim to improve the project management cycle, mainstream social inclusion concepts and practices, etc. They are generally aimed at addressing bottlenecks in project development and financing.

These activities have a significant capacity building component, and often focus on upgrading the knowledge and skills of MOT staff on topics such as gender responsiveness, disability and social inclusion, safeguarding measures and environmental protection.

Ongoing Stream B activities

ALCP - Design of Axle Load Control Program

The Design of the Axle Load Control Program (ALCPD) is a complementary activity to the Detailed Design and Documentation supported by Aus4Transport for the Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project (NMPTCP). This activity addresses vehicle overloading issues in the project area by providing specific measures to control vehicle loads up to the maximum permitted weight on the road surface.

The activity will support the identification and mitigation of the negative impacts of overloading such as pavement and bridges deterioration, increasing road safety, and overall, contributing to accelerate the economic, socio-cultural and environmental development of the region.

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ATS - Building Capacities for Transport Authorities to Enhance a Universally Accessible Public Transport Network

The activity aims to introduce the concept of universal design, change attitudes, and assist local transport agencies to plan and design for accessible transport infrastructure.

Through training, and also through technical and financial assistance, it will help transport agencies and professionals to better understand Vietnamese laws and regulations and new technologies that assist with accessibility for everyone. It will also support local officials and civil society to practically implement these new standards in public transport projects across Vietnam.

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ESIA - Environmental and Social Costs of Transport Infrastructure Projects

The Sector Standards developed through this activity will provide specific guidelines for MOT to accurately analyse and predict environmental and social risks in transport projects, allowing them to design and implement effective measures for social and environmental protection.

The concrete procedures will make project preparation and approval processes more efficient, maximise investment and provide environmental and social benefits for Vietnam.

The Sector Guidelines will be applied by the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN), Vietnam National Railway Authority (VNRA) and Vietnam Inland Water Administration (VIWA).

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GESI - Capacity Building on GESI and Sustainable Project Management in the Transport Sector

This key activity aims to build the capacity of transport sector professionals to mainstream GESI issues when preparing, designing and implementing transport infrastructure projects. Aus4Transport is directly working with the Institute of Transport Administration and Management Cadres (ITM) to raise awareness, improve skills and build motivation for MOT staff to address GESI issues in line with the Gender Action Plan developed by the Committee for the Advancement of Women.

Through a series of training courses, the activity will train around 400 participants and, most importantly, facilitate the adoption and integration of the training modules into ITM regular training curricula.

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IW-MIS - Integrated Management Information System to support Inland Waterways transport improvement

Through this activity, Aus4Transport will develop an integrated Management Information System (MIS) which will collect technical information from more than 17,000km of water transport routes and inland waterways infrastructure, including 283 ports, 8,668 landing stages and 251,000 vessels.

This unified and upgraded management information system will allow data-driven decisions, support strategic planning, facilitate the operation and management of Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration’s (VIWA) assets, ensure adequate comprehensive maintenance, and attract investment for inland waterway infrastructure.

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RAP-PACOFP - Replacement Afforestation Plan and Public Awareness Campaign on Forest Protection

As part of the Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project (NMPTCP), this activity will prepare Replacement Afforestation Plans (RAP) for each one of the three affected provinces. It will also design and implement a Public Awareness Campaign on Forest Protection (PACOFP).

The RAP aims to mitigate potential forestry impacts associated with project construction by providing a detailed plan to compensate the affected forestry resources within the project area.

The PACOFP will promote the importance of forest protection and the need to address forestry impacts in all transport infrastructure projects. It will target provincial authorities, civil work contractors and local communities, paying special attention to ethnic minority groups.

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RSAC - Design of Road Safety Awareness Campaign

As part of the NMPTCP, and with the objective of developing safe and improved road connectivity of the northwestern provinces of Vietnam to the Greater Mekong Subregion economic corridors, this activity will prepare a Safety Risk Mitigation Plan (SRMP) and design a Road Safety Awareness Campaign (RSAC).

Both will aim to reduce the risks associated with construction, larger traffic volumes and higher speeds brought by the upgraded road and will be implemented before and during the civil works. The SRMP and the RSAC will target construction workers, road users, local communities and businesses, paying special attention to vulnerable groups, specifically ethnic minorities.

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TPMIS - Transport Project Management Information System

This activity will develop an online database and platform that will allow MOT to easily collect and manage all information regarding transport investment projects across its five sub-sectors: roads, railways, inland waterways, maritime and aviation.

The data will be digitised and easily accessible for all MOT departments and concerned administrations, ensuring informed decision making and saving time and costs during project implementation, as well as facilitating post evaluation.

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