The number of air travelers using Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, the capital of Viet Nam, has increased rapidly in recent years. With the number reaching approximately 10 million people as of 2010 versus the 6 million people occupancy that the airport was built for, there has been an urgent need to expand the passenger terminal and strengthen its functions.

Japan is therefore extending assistance to build airport facilities equipped with the latest functions and processing capabilities suitable for an airport of the capital city of Viet Nam that is registering remarkable growth, and to enhance the quality of the maintenance and management of operations.

The airport’s expansion is being carried out through ODA Loans attached with conditions on utilizing Japanese technologies for the construction of the second passenger terminal (T2) and fueling facilities for aircrafts. The construction work is moving on schedule towards the opening of the terminal in April 2015.

In addition, to enhance the quality of operations maintenance and management, technical cooperation is being extended to Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) which is in charge of the operations, through the partnership of multiple parties, including JICA, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, and airport corporations in Japan. Priority is attached to such activities as formulation of action plans for preparations until the opening of T2, learning of techniques for operating state-of-the-art fueling systems being introduced in Viet Nam for the first time as well as of tenant management techniques for higher earnings, and initiatives for improving airport users’ satisfaction with the airport. Japan has so far dispatched 2 long-term experts (an expert in fueling and an activity coordinator) and 35 short-term experts, and implemented tours and trainings in Japan (a total of 5 times, 33 participants) (as of August 2013). Until the opening of T2, Japan will continue to extend technical cooperation that meets the needs of Viet Nam.

The second passenger terminal that is under construction. Behind it, the first passenger terminal that is used currently. (Photo: JICA)

Lahore in Punjab Province is the second largest city in Pakistan, with a population of 9 million people. With the city’s annual population growth rate estimated at over 2%, Lahore has seen its traffic situation worsen in recent years. Amid forecasts of continued increases in the city’s population, the resolution of the traffic congestion problem poses a major challenge to the development of the city.

Against this background, Japan extended technical cooperation to support the formulation of the city’s transport plan. In formulating this plan, Japan took into account not only the perspectives of traffic safety and ease, but also the perspectives of urban development planning, such as city environment conservation. The plan incorporated action plans for activities that should be implemented in the near future, including the development of public transport infrastructure for urban railway systems and BRT (Bus Rapid Transit: a transport system in which bus-only roads and permanent bus-only lanes are established, allowing buses to travel faster than ordinary buses on general roads), as well as the strengthening of traffic management in the city, such as the management of city parking, the redesigning of intersections, and the construction of sidewalks and bicycle paths.

To promote Pakistan’s proactive initiatives, the project, in the process of formulating the plan, transferred skills to relevant parties and enhanced their capabilities, with a focus placed on officials of the Transport Department of the Government of Punjab.

Traffic situation in Lahore (Photo: JICA)

An international trunk road stretching from the Port of Durban in South Africa, the largest port in southern Africa, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo passes through South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, and also connects to other countries in southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Angola, making it an essential means of transportation. Called the North-South Corridor, this highway supports trade in this region.

An international river called Zambezi River flows at the border between Zambia and Botswana through which the corridor travels, and a ferry called “pontoon” is used to cross this river. At present, however, only two pontoons are available, and the number of vehicles that the pontoons can transport per day, including trucks, is limited to roughly 60 vehicles.

Furthermore, it takes about 30 hours for vehicles to cross the border because of emigration and immigration procedures. This further adds to the transportation costs of Zambia and Botswana, which, due to their inland location, rely on trucks and other vehicles for most of their exports and imports of supplies with other countries.

Therefore, Japan lends its support for the construction of a bridge over Zambezi River, of a road towards this bridge, and of an OSBP* which will enable emigration and immigration procedures to be conducted at one time.

As a result of this cooperation, the travel time between Zambia and Botswana will be reduced to six hours. It is expected that this project will vitalize trade not only between the two countries but also throughout the entire region of southern Africa, and will promote the economic development of this region and to regional integration efforts of southern Africa.
(As of August 2013)

* One Stop Border Post (OSBP): One of the customs clearance approaches which has been drawing attention amidst the movement to create common customs procedures and increase the efficiency of customs clearance. While normally, export and import procedures are required at both sides of the border, these procedures are performed at one time under OSBP. This in turn shortens the retention time of supplies that cross the border and promotes distribution.

A truck boarding a ferry

The Nacala Port in the northern region of Mozambique that faces the Indian Ocean is the gateway of the Nacala Corridor, the main artery in the area linking the northern region of Mozambique and surrounding inland countries, including Malawi and Zambia. Endowed with resources such as coal for carbonization* and natural gas, along with an environment favorable for agriculture including fertile soil, it is expected that this area will enjoy dynamic development and industry development. Furthermore, with rich deposits of natural resources having been confirmed in this area, there has been an intensification of investment activities by private companies and other entities in view of the high potential of the area. Nevertheless, a development plan that takes into account the overall situation of the area did not exist. Therefore, an appropriate development plan needed to be established in order to promote the development of the area in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

In light of these circumstances, to ensure that the entire Nacala Corridor area, and by extension, Mozambique and the entire southern region of Africa develop in such a way that more people reap the benefits, Japan is extending assistance for the establishment of “Nacala Corridor Economic Development Strategies” aimed at the mid- to long-term development of the region from wide-ranging perspectives, including of the regional plan, transportation, electricity, water resources, industry, and the social sector. The establishment of strategies for infrastructure development and regional development will contribute to the creation of an internationally competitive area.

An international seminar was held in March 2013, inviting relevant government officials from neighboring countries, and gave an opportunity for sharing each country’s policy and development vision. Through these efforts, Japan aims to develop the entire southeastern region of Africa centered around the development of the Nacala Corridor.
(As of August 2013)
（See also “Rehabilitation, Improvement and Capacity Development for the Management of Nacala Port” on this page.）

* Coal for carbonization is used mainly to manufacture coke that serves as raw material for iron and steel.

Wheat processing plants in Nacala (Photo: JICA)

Overlooking the Nacala-Nampula trunk road (Photo: JICA)