The World Bank approved a US$107 million credit on 21 June 2024 to improve southern Vietnam’s inland waterways. The Southern Waterway Corridors and Logistics Development Project was designed to expand freight capacity, shorten journeys and improve navigation safety.
Its focus was the East-West and North-South corridors serving the Mekong Delta, a major agricultural and aquaculture region. Better links between manufacturing centres and deep-sea port facilities were intended to strengthen access to international markets.
The East-West improvements were expected to shorten the transport distance between Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City’s principal port by about 30%. Other work included navigation aids and corrections to sharp river bends, addressing practical constraints on vessel movement.
The bank presented waterways as a lower-emissions alternative to road haulage. Farmers, businesses, vessel operators and residents were among the expected beneficiaries. These were project objectives at approval, rather than confirmed outcomes; the financing announcement alone does not establish that all planned improvements were completed.