Long-Term Improvement in Precautions for Flood Risk Mitigation: A Case Study in the Low-Lying Area of Central Vietnam

Cong Dinh Nguyen,Hoang Ha Vo,Quang Tan Nguyen,Fumikazu Ubukata

doi:10.1007/s13753-020-00326-2

Cong Dinh Nguyen, Hoang Ha Vo + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-020-00326-2

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Abstract

Local actors appear as inseparable components of the integrated flood risk mitigation strategy in Vietnam. Recognizing this fact, this study examined the long-term improvement in precautions taken by commune authorities and households between two major floods in 1999 and 2017 by applying both quantitative and qualitative methods. Two flood-prone villages were selected for a survey; one in a rural area and the other in a suburban area of Thua Thien Hue Province, central Vietnam. The findings indicate that most villagers doubted the structural works’ efficacy and were dissatisfied with the current efforts of local authorities. Households’ self-preparation thus became the decisive factor in mitigating risk. While most households have paid greater attention to flood precautions in 2017, others seem to be lagging. Poverty-related barriers were the root causes restraining households in both rural and suburban villages. The suburban riverine residents were further identified as vulnerable by their limitations in upgrading structural measures, which was ascribed to the inconsistency in the ancient town’s preservation policy. This multidimensional comparison, in terms of vulnerability, emphasized the importance of space-function links in the suburb and the contradictions of different policy initiatives, such as landscape rehabilitation, disaster prevention, and livelihood maintenance.

Highlights

It is widely recognized that natural hazard-related disasters have been steadily increasing across the planet over the last several decades (IPCC 2014)
Recognizing this fact, this study examined the long-term improvement in precautions taken by commune authorities and households between two major floods in 1999 and 2017 by applying both quantitative and qualitative methods
Being considerably susceptible to climate change, Vietnam was ranked the eighth among 10 countries in the world most harshly influenced by extreme weather events in the last two decades (Kreft et al 2016; Nguyen Duc et al 2019), and was listed as one of five countries with the highest population proportion exposed to riverflood risks worldwide (Luo et al 2015)

Summary

Introduction

It is widely recognized that natural hazard-related disasters have been steadily increasing across the planet over the last several decades (IPCC 2014). Floods consisted of 31% of the total number of disasters, followed by 28% for cyclones and typhoons. Hydrometeorological-related disasters are seen as the most prominent in Asia (Shaw 2006). Over the past 20 years, natural hazards and disasters have resulted in 650 deaths, affected 340,000 ha of paddy fields, and destroyed 36000 houses on average each year. The country has lost 1 to 1.5% of its annual gross domestic product (GDP) in the aforementioned period due to natural hazards and disasters, and this significantly hinders the socioeconomic reorganization process (WB 2010)

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