Urban Spatial Adaptability to Drought-Flood Coexistence (DFC). A Case Study from Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam

Abstract

Since the Earth was gravely impaired by CC (Climate Change) in the past decades, a remarkable number of researchers have shifted their viewpoints regarding the city. They consider it a social system that gravitates towards a Social-Ecological System (SES). The very new concept of urban resilience focuses on the urban ability to recover from external shocks and attacks and bounce back to a new stable state, which helps narrow down the former broad concept of urban sustainability. Drought and flood are deemed overarching in Vietnam among the natural attacks, especially in Ninh Thuan province. This study, “Urban spatial adaptability to Drought-Flood Coexistence (DFC), a case study of Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, Ninh Thuan Province'’, aims to assess the city’s adaptability to not only grow, exploit and conserve during the attacks of local DFC but also to renew or self-organize its structure and functions after disturbances. During the study period of 1988 to 2020, the urban spatial adaptability to DFC of the examined area is qualitatively and quantitatively measured. Both urban spaces and the DFC of Phan rang-Thap Cham are investigated at interrelated urban scales, from macro to meso scales. The study covers four parts: (i) The concepts of urban spatial resilience and adaptability, (ii) The study methodology, (iii) The context of Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, Ninh Thuan province, and the study results, (iv) Conclusions.