Coastal hazards in Vietnam

The Challenge

Coastal regions of Vietnam are severely affected by natural hazards. Frequent tropical storms and heavy rains bring along floods and coastal erosion impacting thousands of people. With the expected climate change these impacts will increase in the future. Measures to reduce risks and to increase the resilience of coastal communities are needed.

Our Solution

The World Bank assists the Government of Vietnam in development of a strategic investment framework for managing coastal risks. The project “Development of Coastal Multi-Hazard Mapping, Vulnerability and Risk

Assessments and Investment Framework for Coastal Interventions in Selected Coastal Communities in Vietnam”, executed by Royal HaskoningDHV and its partner ICEM developed an approach which serves as a blueprint for an investment framework for the whole of the Vietnam coast. An extensive program of hazard and risks assessments was rolled out for six coastal districts, selected as representative for the entire coast. The natural hazards were mapped using detailed flood modelling and advanced coastal erosion modelling techniques, taking the climate change impact into account. The ecosystem condition and the vulnerability of coastal communities were established. The economic and social risk due to natural hazards was calculated to serve as an objective (economic) basis for prioritization of risk-reduction measures. A set of climate-proof measures consisting of a mix of grey and green, structural and non-structural measures was prepared. These measures were prioritized using methodology developed specially for this project. Stakeholders were intensively consulted throughout the entire process to assure that the proposed measures meet their expectations.

The Outcome

A set of prioritized measures and corresponding short and long term investment program was developed for six coastal districts in Vietnam. The resulting investment framework was presented to the Government as a path forward to improve resilience to coastal hazards along the entire coast.