Urban Development in Kien Giang: Combining with the Regional Economy

Urban Development in Kien Giang: Combining with the Regional Economy

The urban network in Kien Giang province has developed in conjunction with economic development based upon the natural potential of each region. For example, Rach Gia Town is an administrative and trade centre while Ha Tien Town has great advantages in its seafood and tourism industries, while the Kien Luong urban area develops its construction material and seafood processing industries with the Minh Luong, Tac Cau, Xeo Nhao, Vinh Hiep and Ha Tien Industrial Parks.

Over past years, Kien Giang province has invested in developing its urban infrastructure. The province now has 12 urban centres. In early 2004, the People’s Committee of Kien Giang approved a master plan for local urban and rural residential areas until 2020. The plan forms a basis for sustainable development of the province’s urban areas. The province will develop urban areas in two ways with industry and services. Accordingly, the province will build the Kien Luong-Ba Hon-Hon Chong urban complex with production of construction materials as a spearhead sector, as well as the Minh Luong-Tac Cau-Xeo Nhao complex for seafood processing. Also, Kien Giang province will develop services, tourism and trade along its two major tourism routes, namely Rach Gia-Kien Luong-Ha Tien-Phu Quoc and the Rach Gia-Upper U Minh ecological and cultural tourism route. Also, the province will develop residential areas for rice and seafood farmers to exploit water resources and protect forest reserves while building a fishing port, with the Tac Cau fishing port playing a central role.

Urban space

With four regions of differing natural and economic conditions, urban spaces in the Kien Giang province have developed based upon each area’s ability to exploit its natural advantages in a sustainable manner. The Long Xuyen Quadrangle will develop services and industries within Kien Giang’s major towns of Rach Gia, Kien Luong , Ha Tien and Hon Dat. Meanwhile, the western region of the Hau River with Minh Luong Town will become a centre for high-yield rice production and processing industries. At the same time, the province will develop the towns of Giong Rieng, Go Quao and Tan Hiep. The Ca Mau Peninsula, with U Minh, Vinh Thuan, An Bien and An Minh towns and the Xeo Nhao fishing port, will concentrate on developing farm produce and seafood processing, as well as trade and tourism. The island area with Duong Dong town will become an administrative, trade, financial, scientific, industrial, cultural and tourism centre for the province.

Infrastructure development

The province will focus on developing its transport infrastructure network. Several major seaports, namely An Thoi, Bai Vong, Bai No and Tac Cau, will be built. High-speed ships will be put into operation for the Ho Chi Minh City-Rach Gia, Ho Chi Minh City-Ha Tien, Rach Gia-Phu Quoc and Ha Tien-Phu Quoc tourist routes. Airports in Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Phu Quoc will be upgraded while a new airport will be built in Duong To (Phu Quoc). National Highway 80 will be upgraded as a section of the Trans-Asia highway, which combines with National Highway 63 to form the Ha Tien-Ca Mau urban corridor. Other major road building works in Kien Giang province include the Tan Hiep-Giong Rieng-Vi Thanh road and the coastal road.

The demand for water resources in urban areas of the province in 2020 is expected to reach 126,000 cubic metres per day, while that for local rural areas is estimated to reach 111,900 cubic metres per day. Kien Giang province will upgrade and build new reservoirs and water plants in Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Phu Quoc. Meanwhile, the province will concentrate investment on developing water supply facilities in Hon Tre, An Minh, Giong Rieng, Vinh Thuan, Go Quao, Hon Dat and Tac Cau. In another key plan, the province will develop mobile water supply facilities to ensure that local people have safe water during the flood season.

Electricity demand in the province will reach 2,160x10⁶ kWh and a total capacity of 655,000 kilowatts by 2020. Electricity will be supplied by the national grid while the province will build more electricity stations at the O Mon electric-power plant and the Thot Not station. In island areas, the province will develop electricity sources using diesel generators. Preparations are underway for a project on building a gas-electricity- nitrogenous fertiliser complex. The province will also strive to develop local telecommunication facilities with between six and eight telephones for every 100 local people by 2020.

For local urban areas to develop stably, Kien Giang province, an area with a delicately balanced ecosystem and differing alluvial soil layers, has placed importance on environmental protection. All coastline, rivers and lakes, protected forests and limestone mountains in the province will be managed and exploited in a careful and effective manner to avoid any risk of destroying the ecological balance and exhausting natural resources.

• Song Phuong