COWI developing towns in Africa and Asia 

COWI has recently won a major multi-disciplinary project in Vietnam. This is the third major project in Africa or Asia in the last 18 months, all of them involving environmental improvement and planning in urban communities. They have a total value of DKK 57 million.

Apart from the Vietnam assignment, there is a project in Laos and another in Namibia. Common to them all is the fact that they are multi-disciplinary, involving specialisations ranging from waste management, industrial environment, water supply and wastewater treatment to socio-economy, financing, administration and training of politicians, civil servants and residents.
"One of COWI's strengths is its multi-disciplinary assets, along with the ability to design and implement multi-disciplinary solutions. This is probably the most important single factor in our being selected to undertake these projects," says COWI Project Chief Jacob Ulrich.

Capacity building and demonstration

Urban projects often used to be major implementation assignments; now they are becoming more capacity building in nature involving small demo projects aimed at helping communities and residents to solve problems themselves when the consultant has returned home. This certainly applies to the three recent urban development projects.

The project in Vietnam will improve the capacity in Viet Tri City to carry out better environmental planning of hazardous waste, domestic waste and cleaner technology in industry. COWI’s work includes establishing a green belt by planting trees between industrial and residential areas in a move to reduce noise and air pollution. It is being implemented for Danida.

In Laos, COWI is improving sewerage, water supply and waste management in the capital and two provincial towns. The project is being implemented for Danida and includes demo projects.

In the town of Walvis Bay in Namibia, global environment solutions are being applied locally. The Danida project is based on the UN's Agenda 21, which focuses on how to establish a sustainable environment in local societies. The project develops strategies for protecting the environment of the bay and lagoon, by which the town is situated, with their unique wildlife and great economic importance.

Published 04.07.2002