Tam Ky City Charts a Cooler, Resilient Future
with Urban Cooling Action Plan
Southeast Asian cities face unprecedented challenges from rising temperatures and intensifying urban heat island effects. In central Viet Nam, Tam Ky City, the administrative centre of Quang Nam Province, exemplifies the threat of extreme heat, with projections indicating the city’s cooling demand will rise by more than 30% by 2050, and heatwaves are expected to last more than seven times longer by the end of the century. Tam Ky is facing increasing pressure on public health, economic productivity and urban liveability. Against this backdrop, a vital workshop was convened to chart a transformative course for Tam Ky’s future.
On May 28, the Viet Nam Department for Climate Change (DCC) and the Quang Nam Department of Agriculture and Environment, supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) under the framework of the Cool Coalition, held a key consultation workshop. The gathering brought together 35 stakeholders from the DCC, local agencies, academia, and the private sector. As part of the “Sustainable Urban Cooling in Viet Nam Cities” project, this workshop aimed to finalise the Urban Cooling Action Plan (UCAP) for Tam Ky, prioritising key cooling initiatives. The event marked a critical milestone in the City’s journey toward sustainable urban development.
The UCAP, developed through collaboration between international and national experts from UNEP and GGGI, provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the city’s escalating urban heat challenges. The plan integrates innovative strategies at urban and building levels, including a heat-considerate urban geometry, cool roofs, urban ventilation, nature-based solutions, and climate-adaptive building design with optimal shading, high insulation, high performance windows, natural ventilation, passive cooling, and efficient cooling equipment. These tailored interventions reflect the unique urban structure and socio-economic realities of Tam Ky City and the Quang Nam Province, ensuring both immediate impact and long-term sustainability.
This workshop went beyond technical training, building capabilities and fostering collaboration. Participants actively discussed how to weave urban cooling solutions into local policies and city planning, underscoring the need for Tam Ky City’s efforts to align with Viet Nam’s national climate goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By strengthening local knowledge and applying global best practices, the event showed the power of collective action.
The workshop delivered highly impactful and promising outcomes. Stakeholders reached consensus on the UCAP recommendations, setting the stage for formal approval by Quang Nam’s Department of Agriculture and Environment. Technical solutions and governance pathways were refined to ensure their feasibility and scalability, not just in Tam Ky City but also nationwide. Local insights, particularly from the Tam Ky City People’s Committee leadership, enriched the strategies, making them relevant to the city’s specific conditions.
The workshop is an excellent example of urban resilience to extreme heat in Viet Nam and across Asia. The experience of the city of Tam Ky, along with that of the city of Can Tho, will act as a model for other cities within the UNEP Cool Coalition’s regional initiative, demonstrating how sustainable cooling can reduce urban heat, while advancing national climate goals. Through bold collaboration and innovative thinking, the UNEP Cool Coalition and GGGI are supporting Tam Ky pioneer a cooler, greener, and more sustainable future. Tam Ky’s progress is therefore a crucial step not only for its own smart city ambitions, but also for climate resilience in urban centres around the world.