Toward Integrated Disaster Risk Management in Vietnam: Recommendations Based on the Drought and Saltwater Intrusion Crisis and the Case for Investing in Longer-Term Resilience

Climate change is real and is having broad impacts across the world. Climate change projections draw a grim picture of Vietnam’s climate vulnerability in the coming decades. A transformation of different sectors—including agriculture, water resource management, energy, fisheries, forestry, and infrastructure—is needed to counter climate threats and enhance Vietnam’s adaptive capacity.

To improve disaster preparedness and build longer-term resilience, Vietnam should act now to adapt to changing climate. As in many countries, Vietnam’s risk and vulnerability are intensified by unplanned urban development, inappropriate land use, and ecosystem degradation. Yet it is still possible for the country to correct course if its policy makers and communities take action.

This report takes a deeper look at the drought and SWI crisis faced by Vietnam, identifies the gaps across key sectors, and recommends the principal shortand longer-term actions needed for integrated disaster risk management.

The recommendations are based on global experiences in good governance with intersectoral coordination in disaster forecast and early warning, and in community empowerment in water resource management and agricultural production.