Urban disaster risk reduction in Vietnam: Gaps and challenges

This paper analyzes gaps and challenges in urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Vietnam, a country where DRR efforts have primarily focused on rural areas and often employ community-based DRR methods. 

Urbanization is bringing many new pressures—for example, natural hazards pose major risks to dykes and embankments along rivers; energy demand is driving the development of dams and hydroelectricity systems; greenhouse gas emissions are rising; there are more frequent and intense extreme weather events and continuing sea level rise; and natural hazards are having a greater impact on safety and infrastructure. With a combination of those issues, many communities in urban and peri-urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to natural hazards and disasters.