Abstract

Smart cities, or intelligent cities, are the current trend in urban infrastructure development, in which urban planning, green cover, and biodiversity are among the five key pillars under India’s Framework 3.0. This study focuses on assessing the current status of urban planning, green cover, and biodiversity in Ho Chi Minh City according to the Climate-Smart City model under India’s Framework 3.0, based on seven indicators: (1) Rejuvenation & conservation of water bodies & open areas; (2) Green cover per capita in the city (m²/person); (3) Proportion of urban green land to total urban construction land area; (4) Urban biodiversity; (5) Application of GIS and digital data in urban planning; (6) Smart disaster warning and management system; and (7) The city’s climate action plan. The results show that Ho Chi Minh City achieved level 5 for the indicator “Rejuvenation & conservation of water bodies & open areas” reflecting the effective maintenance of canals, rivers, and riverbank protection corridors. In contrast, the indicator “Green cover per capita in the city (m²/person)” reached only level 1, indicating a severe shortage of public green spaces. The indicator “Proportion of urban green land to total urban construction land area” reached level 3, and the indicator “Application of GIS and digital data in urban planning” also stood at level 3, reflecting a medium level of adoption of digital planning tools. The indicator “Urban biodiversity” cannot be fully evaluated due to lack of data, although the presence of the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve and vast suburban green areas indicates a relatively high proportion of natural land. Meanwhile, the indicator “Smart disaster warning and management system” reached level 3, and the indicator “City’s climate action plan” stood at level 2. The study proposes solutions to enhance green space development, apply smart technologies, and improve climate policies, aiming toward sustainable urban development and adaptation to climate change.