Flood risk management activities in Vietnam: A study of local practice in Quang Nam province

Vietnam has been extensively impacted by flooding over the years, sustaining heavy losses in human life and damages to housing, agriculture, and transportation. Flood risk in Vietnam is not widely understood beyond a very hazard-focused conceptualization, which often neglects to consider human vulnerability. The objective of this paper is to understand flood risk management (FRM) activities at local levels in Quang Nam province in Vietnam, along with legal and institutional frameworks that are intended to focus, but often restrict, policy and practice. Vietnam's legal and institutional frameworks are analyzed to provide an overview of the scope of existing FRM activities in Vietnam. We then examine the extent to which FRM in Vietnam follows recognized theoretical frameworks, and pinpoint where practice might be strengthened. Based on this positioning, we conduct 27 individual interviews with decision-makers in FRM at provincial, district, and commune levels in Quang Nam province. We argue that FRM activities at local levels in Vietnam are implemented according to the hierarchical structure of the political system and the responsibilities of various paramount government agencies, and that there is a lack of participation of experts, researchers, and scientists in steering committees. There is an urgent need for greater public participation in FRM at local levels. Since communes have a better understanding of their local conditions, empowering them with planning and decision-making power is necessary to improve the effectiveness of FRM activities. Our detailed analysis of FRM activities at local levels has implications for future efforts to mitigate flooding in Vietnam.