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Disaster Risk Management in Central Viet Nam
 Thua Thi En Hue province, in the Central region of Viet Nam, is said to be one of the most disaster-prone areas in that country. Its mountains, coastal plains, and lagoons are subject to storms and floods that destroy crops and homes. In the dry season, crops are affected by low rainfall and saltwater intrusion. These occurrences are increasing in frequency and severity in recent years, attributed to climate change.
A project was carried out by the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation and Kyoto University, in partnership with central and provincial governments and Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry to reduce the vulnerability of a representative, poor agricultural and fishing district (Phu Loc).
Project staff and villagers together mapped the area’s vulnerability to natural hazards in terms of income loss and interruption of communications and transport and ways of coping were devised. The result was a community-based approach to managing disaster risk that fitted with existing local planning procedures.
“Change agents” from the villages were trained to spread awareness and help communities understand the risks associated with climate change so they could make informed choices to reduce those risks. Each community in the project then developed a “safer community plan” with four elements: improved land-use practices, environmental protection, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure.
This participatory activity has answered socioeconomic needs and contributed to environmental sustainability. How successful the plans will be is a matter for future events to decide. A key element has been close coordination and free information flow between different levels of government, communities, and international partners.
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