Da Nang promotes sustainable urban cooperation with Japan’s Yokohama
DNO - Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ho Quang Buu chaired a working session on Monday with a group of visitors from Japan’s Yokohama City, led by Mr. Yasuaki Nakamura, Director for Development Cooperation, International Affairs Bureau of Yokohama.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the renewal of the Memorandum of Cooperation between Da Nang and Yokohama, as well as outlined cooperation activities for the coming period.
They also exchanged views on participating in the Asia-Pacific Circular Cities (APCC) Forum, scheduled to take place in September 2026 in Yokohama. The event will provide an opportunity for participating cities to share experiences in circular urban development and advance toward the goal of carbon neutrality.
The circular city model is regarded as an evolution of the Asia Smart City initiative. With a broader scope of cooperation covering multiple fields, the model aims to accelerate the transition toward sustainable urban development.
The Yokohama delegation also introduced the Asian Circular Cities Declaration (ACCD) initiative. The initiative was unveiled at the Asia Smart City Conference 2025 and is expected to be officially launched at a press event on March 25, 2026, in Bangkok.
For his part, Vice Chairman Ho Quang Buu expressed his pleasure at welcoming the Yokohama delegation and praised the effective cooperation between the two cities since 2013, especially in the aspects of environment, waste management, and energy saving. These efforts, he noted, have made important contributions to Da Nang’s sustainable urban development.
Regarding the ACCD initiative, Da Nang is expected to attend the upcoming official launch event. With the goal of becoming one of the world’s top 50 smart cities by 2030, strengthening international cooperation is seen as a key factor enabling the city to implement green and sustainable urban development initiatives.
Also at the working session, the two parties provided updates on the cooperative relationship between Da Nang and Yokohama, which was established in 2013 through a Memorandum of Understanding. The partnership focuses on sustainable urban development, environmental protection, and climate change adaption.
Over the past decade, Yokohama City has actively coordinated with Japanese organizations, notably the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, to implement a number of practical support programs for Da Nang.
Among the most notable was support for the development of Da Nang’s urban development action plan for the 2014 - 2016 period. The plan helped shape the city’s urban future, including aspects of urban transportation, waste management, and efficient energy use, drawing on Yokohama’s development experience.