Dong Nai accelerates development of model residential areas

(ĐN)- Dong Nai has made significant strides in building model residential areas, with 65 areas recognized provincewide, nearly double the number in 2023. These areas are not only increasing in quantity but also improving in quality, meeting even the most challenging environmental criteria such as waste separation at source and sustainable rural landscapes.

Residents actively participate in meeting model residential area criteria in Long Tho commune, Nhon Trach district.

The impressive progress is largely due to local governments actively expanding and replicating model residential area initiatives through creative approaches and strong community participation.

In 2024 alone, 31 new model residential areas were recognized, surpassing the provincial target of 23. This marks a sharp increase compared to the 34 areas built over the entire 2019–2023 period. Many additional areas are now in the final stages of assessment.

Among localities, Vinh Cuu District stands out with 15 model areas, including Binh Loi Commune — the province’s first to be certified as a model new-style rural commune. The commune’s roads are well-paved and lined with greenery, and residents actively implement waste sorting and “Green House” initiatives to recycle and raise community support funds.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam praised Dong Nai for its innovative, in-depth models in the new rural development program, noting these as valuable lessons for the ministry’s future policymaking.

A key factor in the program’s success is the mobilization of grassroots support. In Nhon Trach District’s Long Tho Commune, 70-year-old resident Truong My Hue helps maintain flower-lined streets, while others in Phu Dong Commune's Thi Cau hamlet join weekend community cleanups.

According to Le Van Goi, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, localities that have succeeded in building sustainable model areas have all relied on empowering residents. Alongside meeting structural criteria, many areas have implemented self-regulation rules to help communities maintain long-term standards and scale up efforts toward broader rural transformation.

Reported by B.N