Vietnam: Community engagement in flood early warning and risk reduction in Quy Nhon

This case study discusses the training undertaken by the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) and local stakeholders in Quy Nhon (Vietnam), with regards to flood risk management and capacity building.

The lessons for policy and practice are the following:

• A crucial part of the warning system is agreement on the content of the short SMS warning messages and training for all the emergency response officials to understand the messages and know how to respond to the different warning levels.
• The drill was essential to reveal the state of preparation and to identify any challenges in procedures.
• The early engagement of local government authorities in several different departments and agencies helped local officials to see that the project would help them to better serve and protect vulnerable local residents.
• The community’s role in guiding vulnerability assessment, planning and risk reduction measures has
  ensured that communication links are effective, risk reduction measures address local vulnerabilities, and
  residents are better aware of risk and response measures.
• The effectiveness of the early warning system relies not only on the reliability and accuracy of the monitoring
  equipment but also on the communications network and the training provided to the community.