15 - Storm Surge and Tsunami Awareness and Preparedness in Central Vietnam

Abstract

The Vietnamese coast faces a number of potential coastal hazards, mainly storm surges and typhoons originating or propagating along the East Sea. In particular, an earthquake in the Manila Trench could generate a 5- to 7-m-high tsunami that would strike the central coast of Vietnam within 2h of the earthquake, according to computer simulations (see Chapters 13 and 14). Also, the region is frequently hit by typhoons, which can sometimes generate significant storm surges (see Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8). However, for a successful evacuation it is not only necessary to have a warning system, but for the local population to be aware of the dangers posed by a tsunami or storm surge and know what to do in such an event. Thus, in the present research the authors both surveyed the warning systems currently being constructed along the central coast of Vietnam (south of Da Nang) and administered questionnaires among local inhabitants on their awareness and preparedness against tsunamis and storm surges. The results show that, generally speaking, the local population has a high degree of awareness of the dangers posed by coastal natural disasters, with 76% of respondents being aware of the danger of storm surges and 81% of tsunamis. However, there is a clear difference in preparedness between these disasters, with 70% knowing how to evacuate in the event of a storm surge, but only 58% for the case of a tsunami. The research thus highlights the need to improve disaster awareness and preparedness against coastal disasters in Vietnam, given the potentially disastrous consequences that a tsunami or a storm surge could have, especially along the central coastline of this country.