At the 15th APCS meeting in Da Nang, held in Fukuoka from 19 to 21 October, the city introduced initiatives to build a safe and disaster-resilient city and confirmed plans to strengthen cooperation with local governments, including Fukuoka in Japan and Gwangyang in South Korea.
A Da Nang delegation attended the 15th APCS meeting and introduced initiatives to link nature, infrastructure, data and communities while shifting from disaster prevention to adaptation and recovery. Representatives from the construction bureau, environment bureau, foreign affairs department, and the civil engineering and industrial and technical infrastructure investment and construction committee also attended.
Da Nang presented three measure groups. First, it said it would prioritise securing space for water resources while advancing its urban master plan for the 2060s pending government approval. Second, it explained plans to integrate flood-control measures by combining three layers: grey infrastructure, blue-green infrastructure and digital infrastructure. Finally, it cited coordination between upstream water storage and early-warning systems, implementation of the “four on-site” principle in each municipality, and resident participation in co-design and co-implementation.
Da Nang expressed its intention to cooperate with international cities and organisations on data use across the Vu and Thu Bon river basins, risk mapping, early warnings, sponge cities, green and blue infrastructure, and climate-change funding. It is prepared to work with the APCS network to pilot, evaluate and share solutions.
The parties agreed to promote cooperation with local governments in Japan and South Korea. Fukuoka was recognised for its role as host city of the APCS meeting, and Da Nang was expected to participate actively and make substantive contributions. Following the renewal of its friendship and cooperation agreement with Gwangyang, Da Nang indicated that it would explore investment opportunities in battery-recycling facilities to recover rare metals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. The consulate general proposed strengthening cooperation with various parts of Japan, and Da Nang instructed the relevant departments to advance the cooperation promptly.