From October 24-28, 2025, A2Z Construction Consulting JSC, along with the DEOCA Group delegation, worked in China. They attended specialized seminars, conducted on-site surveys, and exchanged experiences with leading Chinese partners in the fields of water resources, underground structures, and urban planning.
The program took place in the context where A2Z is collaborating with DEOCA Group to research and implement the Red River Grand Avenue Landscape Axis Project. This aims at an integrated transportation-urban model integrated with water management, contributing to solving flooding issues and developing sustainable infrastructure for Hanoi and other major urban areas.
Learning riverside urban models integrated with water management
In working sessions with the Chongqing Architectural Design Institute, China Design Group, and Yangzhou Water Resources Planning Research Institute, the parties shared experiences on riverside urban planning, multi-layered spatial organization, and technology applications in flood management.
Working session with the Chongqing Architectural Design Institute.
Mr. Lu Zhiyuan – Party Committee Secretary and President of the Chongqing Architectural Design Institute – stated: The Institute has mobilized its top experts and specialized teams to conduct research, seeking solutions that both create a multi-layered transportation system integrated with water management, and utilize existing infrastructure along with inherent values to enhance the economic, cultural-historical value of the Red River.
At the session, Mr. Ho Minh Hoang – Chairman of DEOCA Group – emphasized: “We must soon calculate and standardize the road elevations in the planning design. This is the number one priority right now for the Red River Grand Avenue Landscape Project”.
DEOCA representatives requested that the consulting units calculate elevations based on the latest hydrology, geology, and flood-elevation data to ensure the road route planning scheme and urban functional zoning meet safety and flood drainage criteria.
To fulfill this requirement, A2Z – as the overall project consulting unit – will collaborate with China Design Group to review all water level, elevation, and hydrological variation data in the Red River area (Hanoi). This will serve as the basis for completing the detailed planning design.
Agreeing on design criteria and research directions suitable for Vietnam’s reality
During the exchanges, Prof. Dr. Le Van Nghi – Director of the National Key Laboratory on River and Sea Dynamics – noted: “The Red River system has many distinct hydrological characteristics, with a dike system that has been formed for over thousands of years, as well as the water level elevations and a 500-year flood control guarantee cycle. In research, we need to both inherit and adjust to suit actual conditions”.
Seminar on seeking solutions for flood prevention and urban drainage in Vietnam.
Sharing the same view, Water Resources Expert, Mrs. Do Thi Le Thu, stated a need to update hydrological and water resources data from the Hydrological Technical Centers. At the same time, it is necessary to obtain operational data from hydropower plants along the Red River system to serve detailed research and calculations.
The experts agreed on a set of design criteria, focusing on three principles: (1) to limit the increase in 500-year floods, (2) to limit the potential for causing riverbed accretion and minimize changes to the riverbank surface, and (3) to perform mathematical simulations and establish detailed physical research models in key research areas.
A2Z is currently collaborating with Chinese research institutes to establish and calibrate this model system, serving calculations, evaluations, and design optimization for the project.
Prof. Dr. Le Van Nghi – Director of the National Key Laboratory on River and Sea Dynamics speaking at the seminar.
From the experiences gained during the working visit, A2Z has collaborated with DEOCA Group and partners to develop a three-tier strategy for flood prevention and sustainable urban development. This includes: (1) short-term: clearing the existing drainage system; (2) medium-term: constructing a network of modern pumping stations at key inundation points; (3) long-term: planning, building 3-5 large regulating lakes, and implementing dual-purpose TBM tunnels combining transportation and flood discharge.
If implemented properly, these solutions will help Hanoi fundamentally resolve flooding due to heavy rains and rising floodwater levels, while creating a foundation for overall city-wide drainage planning.
At the workshop, Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung – General Director of A2Z – shared: “The idea of a dual-purpose tunnel – serving both transportation and flood discharge – was initiated by DEOCA investor more than 15 years ago, when starting the DEOCA Road Tunnel Project. Today, with modern TBM technology, we have the conditions to realize this model for major urban areas”.
Representative of China Design Group, Mr. Pham Dong Thao – Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors – highly appreciated the creativity of this idea. He stated that the unit will conduct further in-depth research on feasibility and affirmed that this is a suitable direction for Vietnam’s conditions, where land funds are limited, traffic is congested, and significant land clearance costs are incurred.
Chinese experts also presented specific forms of TBM tunnel cross-sections to meet the demand of both automobile traffic and to integrate with the intra-city railway systems and drainage when needed. This solution is considered optimal for densely populated urban areas, preserving landscapes while reducing above-ground construction costs.
Within the framework of the working visit, the A2Z expert delegation and partners directly conducted on-site surveys of typical water management structures in Yangzhou City (Jiangsu Province), such as the Guazhou Pumping Station, Yangzhou Pumping Station, and Wanfu Dam. They also worked with the Yangzhou Flood Control and Drought Relief Center to learn about models applying digital technology in managing and operating urban water resource systems.
Expert Sheng Bing – Head of the Water Resources Planning Research Department in Yangzhou – stated that the current flooding situation in Vietnam’s major urban areas is like that of Yangzhou City 10-20 years ago. Therefore, Yangzhou’s experiences in developing infrastructure linked with flood prevention will be valuable lessons for Vietnam in urban planning and sustainable development.
At the end of the working visit, A2Z continues to exchange and collaborate with DEOCA Group, along with domestic and international research institutes and universities, to research and develop riverside urban models integrated with water management. This aims at sustainable solutions for major urban areas such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
TRINH KHOI
