(Construction) - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan will launch the first project in Luang Prabang City, Laos under the scheme of “Smart JAMP,”the assisting program by the Japanese government for cities of ASEAN to develop smart cities.
A research team will be dispatched to the city to study local issues in each infrastructure field and to identify necessary technologies which Japanese companies can offer. The master plan will be compiled by the end of fiscal 2021 ending March 2022, and Japanese companies will be encouraged to receive orders for the projects.
A kick-off meeting was held online on April 9, where a senior official of MLIT and Mayor of Luang Prabang confirmed the start of the survey and the future schedule, and exchanged opinions. The mayor expressed his expectations for Japan's smart city initiatives.
The newly established joint coordination committee (JCC) will meet regularly to report the progress of the survey and approve the direction of the project. The survey will identify issues in each field such as roads, airports, water supply and sewage systems. The committee will select priority projects and discuss the implementation scheme. It will also explore measures to eliminate overtourism and improve tourist satisfaction.
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| Street in Luang Prabang. |
The ministry has already commissioned Tokyo-based engineering consulting firm Oriental Consultants Global to conduct the study for project formation in Luang Prabang. The city is the economic center of the northern part of Laos, an ancient city that dates back to 1300s, and its entire urban area has been registered as World Heritage Site. (15 April 2021)
The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan
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