Published:  00:00 Wednesday - March 16, 2011

The Mekong Delta region is expected to have 250 cities and a total population of 20-21 million by 2020 under a Ministry of Construction plan approved yesterday.

The master plan to 2020, with a vision to 2050, has three main metropolitan areas: central urban areas with Can Tho City as the centre; northeast urban areas with My Tho City as the centre; southwest urban areas with Ca Mau City as the centre.

Specifically, there is one first-ranking city, six second-ranking cities, 11 third-ranking cities; 34 fourth-ranking cities and 198 fifth-ranking cities.

The region will have international airports of Can Tho and Phu Quoc and domestic airports at Ca Mau and Rach Gia.

The Tien and Hau rivers will provide water to the areas, with water plants and regional water supply networks yet to be built. Six more electricity plants with a capacity of 22,500MW are expected to be completed soon.

About 7.5 million of the population will be urban, an urbanisation rate of about 33-35 per cent.

The region will need 100,000-110,000ha for urban construction and 20,000-30,000ha for industrial land by 2020.

Minister of Construction Nguyen Hong Quan urged local agencies from 13 cities and provinces to promptly implement the plan, stressing the planning of each locality must be in synch with planning of the whole region.

 The delta covers all the administrative boundaries of 13 cities and provinces with an area of more than 40,610,000sq.m. It has about 360,000,000sq.m territorial sea areas and a 330km border with Cambodia.

Source: VNS