Seminar discusses urbanisation in Southeast Asian

HCM City (VNA) - An international seminar took place in Ho Chi Minh City on December 9, focusing its discussion on urbanisation trends in Southeast Asia 's big cities and their environs.

Reports presented at the seminar introduced a number of urbanisation models
in Southeast Asia, including those of the region's biggest cities, including
Bangkok ( Thailand ), Manila (the Philippines ), Jakarta ( Indonesia )
and Ho Chi Minh City ( Vietnam ).

They said big cities play a key role in and have made great contributions to
the development of national economy.

The reports also pointed out the growingly important role of big cities'
environs, saying that these areas house a large part of population and
support trade and industrial activities in big cities, where environment and
natural resources have been increasingly degraded.
Claude De Miras, Director of France's Institute for Research and
Development, said that urbanisation in Vietnam took place very quickly
and actively and recommended the country design a macro strategy on
urbanisation to cope with its adverse impacts, including environmental
degradation.-Enditem