Viet Nam Contribution to the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Input regarding Key Area 2:
Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Integration
Countries, organizations and stakeholder groups are invited to make succinct contributions of
maximum 5 pages, addressing the following questions:
1. What is the issue that your country (organization/stakeholder group) recommend to be
prioritized in HFA2?
Vietnam is particularly interested in prioritizing and sharing its good practice in “Key area 2:
Sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction integration” with a focus on
the following key questions as highlighted in the Scoping paper:
“Where, at what level and how has the integration of DRR, climate change and sustainable
development proved more efficient and effective?”
2.1 What are the barriers for achieving integration at the national and local levels and how
have they been addressed?
2.3 How can existing instruments be better used or scaled up to facilitate integration
With regards to existing recommendations that need to be particularly prioritized in the post-HFA
framework, the following areas are of particular concern in the Vietnam context:





Need standardized approaches for multi-risk assessment & cost-benefit analysis & systems
for updating info
Enhance the use of risk information to influence planning and investment decision making in
public sectors
Address lack of gender disaggregated data
Address trans-boundary risk through regional coordination
Reduce risk in urbanization and understand urban risk more fully
2. Why have you selected this as a priority?
Vietnam recognizes that climate change poses a special challenge to development, and that disaster
risk management is a key component of climate change adaptation. Vietnam is particularly aware
that sound risk assessment and cost benefit analysis need to be at the core of development
planning. This data needs to include not only hazard but also vulnerability data that can look at how
different groups, including women, are affected differently by disaster and climate change. Given
that river basins and fault lines to not respect national boundaries, and that climate change is
impacting key resources like water availability at a global level, these risk assessments need to have
trans-boundary components. In addition, special tools that adapted for urban contexts are also
important given the demographic trends in Asia.
Greater emphasis on how tools and data can be usefully cross-referenced, for example, allowing
disaster risk data to inform development and climate change planning, or improving how climate
projections inform building standards is particularly essential. For example, Vietnam is working to
integrate its work on climate change projections to be relevant to current disaster risk management
planning, and to integrate both these areas into sustainable development planning. Initiatives like
undertaking a National IPCC Special Report on Extreme Events (SREX) as well as integrating national
policies and frameworks are central to this process.
a. What is the progress and challenges in addressing this issue?
Over the past decade, Vietnam has passed a number of important legal documents, strategies, and
plans addressing and increasing the integration of DRR and CCA into sustainable development.
These documents provide the legal basis of a shift in the DRR approach, address disaster
management and promote the full integration of DRR into socio-economic development across
sectors and localities. Specifically:
 The Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (2013) recognizes that mainstreaming
DRR is key to development, and highlights the need for integrated, community centered DRR
and climate change planning
 The National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020
(National Strategy) highlights an integrated DRR, CC and Sustainable Development approach
within the context of green development planning
 The National Target Program on Climate Change Adaptation (NTP on CCA) specifically
notes the potential challenges for Vietnam in responding to greater climate related disaster
challenges, including sea level rise and salt water intrusion in coastal areas.
 The Decision 1002/2009/QD-TTg, approving the Plan for raising community awareness on
disaster risk management and implementing Community-Based Disaster Risk Management
(Decision 1002 on CBDRM) highlights climate change related challenges, and notes the need
for commune level planning to be integrated into developing planning at all levels.
At the present time almost all ministries (including all ministries represented in the Central
Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC)) have now developed Action Plans for the
integration of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation within their sectors. All 63
provinces in the country have developed DRM Action Plans. The majority of sectorial development
plans and socio-economic development plans (SEDPs) at the national and provincial levels for the
period 2011-2015, as well as sectorial master plans currently being drafted for the period 2011-2020
have integrated some elements of disaster management. Many provinces and ministries have also
already developed their action plans on CCA as required by the NTP on CCA.
A number of key Government institutions are also playing a key role in providing the technical,
scientific and policy base for closer integration of DDR, CCA and sustainable development.
Vietnam’s Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment is looking at how data on extreme
climate disasters can help inform improved downscaled climate models. Key universities and think
tanks are also increasingly taking an integrated approach to policy oriented research in areas such as
the potential health impacts of climate change.
Much DRM related work however still is considered within the scope of upgrading of infrastructures,
sea dykes, irrigation canals, reservoirs, hospitals, schools, roads as well as reforestation i.e.
predominantly structural measures. There is often very limited inclusion or budgeting of nonstructural DRR measures within these plans and master plans. There also is a lack of clear guidelines,
tools, monitoring indicators, and level of integration and implementation. Coordination across
ministries in planning is still weak, with sectors or province developing the plans for its own entity
for these to be consolidated by the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI). DRR measures in
Viet Nam are still often focused on agriculture and flood and storm control. The role to deal with
climate change is assigned to another ministry (MoNRE) although DRR and CCA are interrelated
issues that require a coherent approach. In some cases, there is a lack of resources to actually
implement plans and the enforcement of legislation on DRR and DRM.
b. Did HFA1 play a role? If not, why?
Under the HFA 1 process, Vietnam has benefited from opportunities to share experience, and twoway knowledge on DRR at the regional and global level.
The cooperation between Governments during the HFA 1 consultations also helped play a role in
conceptualizing strengthened regional cooperation frameworks on DRR, particularly through
mechanisms such as ASEAN. ISDR participation in the UNFCCC process has also been useful in
helping highlight key synergies between DRR and CCA in particular.
Through peer based mechanisms for sharing good practice and lessons learned, Vietnam has been
able to develop and validate its risk management strategy that covers the entire risk management
cycle, including preparedness, response and recovery. Forums to help fast-track the links between
DRR and climate change adaptation have also been important in light of this new global challenge.
3. What are the actions required to address this issue?
Elaborate on maximum 5actions that specifically address the issue.
List others of a more cross cutting nature
Key actions required to promote sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk
reduction integration include:
1. Strengthening the tools for risk assessment, particularly with regards to providing practical
guidance for synthesizing knowledge across hazard types, and for better understanding
thresholds for climate change adaptation
2. Improving means of translating risk information from the national level or from within the
scientific community to community level, and ensuring it is effectively used at sub-national
level
3. Further sensitizing ministries of Finance and Planning on disaster risk reduction, to enable
further integration in national planning processes
4. How should this issue be addressed in HFA2?
What could be the accountability framework to address this issue in HFA2?
c. Who needs to be accountable to take these actions?
d. Who will the actors become accountable to?
e. What targets and indicators could be used to measure progress and underpin
accountability measures?
f. How can these targets and indicators be monitored and measured?
Governments are central to ensuring accountability in areas such as the integration of DRR within
national planning process, and should take an increasing role in making sure that CBDRR action
reaches the local level. Ideally, regional bodies and international financial institutions and donors
should be more accountable for ensuring that their investments are ‘climate proofed’ and contribute
to building disaster resilience.
They could also be more accountable for the development of regional or global systems in key areas
including early warning systems, risk information management and disaster needs assessment.
Regional forums such as ASEAN’s “Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Signatories (AAMER) can be leveraged to help track progress and to strengthen regional technical
and response systems. Current annual reporting mechanisms to the HFA can be continued based on
a more robust monitoring and evaluation framework.
5. List the stakeholders who should be engaged in implementing the recommendations made
above.
What could be the mechanisms to engage and build partnership between the stakeholders?
A wide range of stakeholders including Governments, civil society organizations, academia,
communities and the private sector need to be engaged in implementing these recommendations.
Further strengthening the emerging National Platform system and also promoting more integrated
climate change and disaster risk reduction forums can help promote partnerships between the
stakeholders.
Annex: Example of practice
Annex: Vietnam Examples of Good Practices in
Sustainable development, climate change and disaster risk reduction integration
Examples of Good Practices serve as evidence of HFA1 achievements in Asia Pacific in order to
support the recommendations made for HFA2.
Title of the Good
practice/case study
Integration of DRR and CCA into key legal provisions in Vietnam
Which key area/questions the
example contributes to
Key area 2
Abstract
Provide a 3-5 line abstract of the Good Practice/case study
Context
What was the problem?
Recently Vietnam has recognized that the impacts of climate change will
present an additional threat to development, and will likely result in
both more variability as well as more frequent and intense hazard
events. The Government recognized that existing capacity in preparing
and managing disasters could help fast-track adaptation action. In
addition, disaster risk management systems themselves also needed to
be adapted to take into account these new challenges.
How the problem was
addressed?
-
What was done to address the problem?
Who was involved and what role did they play?
What were some of the challenges and how were they overcome?
What are the lessons learnt?
What could have been done differently and why?
The Government of Vietnam worked to bring together members of the
scientific community, technical experts from both DRR and CCA and civil
society organizations to examine the issue. This process helped sensitize
key government counterparts and to identify the key areas for required
integration, and how systems might need to adapt. Both the DRM law
and Climate Change Strategy were developed through participatory
processes that allowed ample scope for dialogue and exchange.
The National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change (2008)
covering the period 2009-2015 specifically aims to encouraging
mainstreaming of climate change concerns into DRR policies and the
wider Socio-Economic Development Strategy (SEDS 2011-2020). The
Prime Minister Chairs the program’s inter-ministerial Steering
Committee.
Results
- What was the result of this approach/intervention?
- What were the key elements of success?
Vietnam’s recently approved Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and
Control (2013) aims at ‘combining structural and non-structural
solutions; protecting the environment and eco-systems and adapting to
climate change.” The National Climate Change Strategy also highlights
the importance of DRR, listing “proactive disaster preparedness” as a
strategic task, proposing specific measures for effective disaster
prevention, and reinforcing the integration of DRR and CCA jointly in
development planning.
Measuring success
- Was the success/impact measured?
- If so, how / if not why not?
This integration of DRR and CCA in new legal frameworks is already
having a result in prompting greater integration across governments,
planning and programs.
HFA 1
- Have the results contributed to HFA1 progress in the country?
o If so, how?
o How can similar initiatives be better captured in DRR/HFA
progress review?
- Did HFA1 play a role in enabling this initiative?
o If yes, how / If no, what needs to be for HFA2 to enable such
initiatives?
The work particularly contributes to HFA Priority Action 2: Identify,
assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning, Priority
Action 3: Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of
safety and resilience at all levels and Priority Action 4: Reduce the
underlying risk factors.
The HFA 1 process helped provide exposure to both technically sound
experience in legislative experience and exposure to practical field based
examples. This experience sharing has been useful in helping Vietnam to
develop its legislative frameworks and structures.
Potential for replication
- Can this initiative be replicated?
- Explain how or why not?
Vietnam’s example in integrating DRR and CCA into legal systems and
into sector based planning could be replicated. Vietnam would be
pleased to share its experience and the examples of tools and methods
produced as required in the future.
Contact
Provide contact information of the key person(s) for this example of
practice
Dr. Nguyen Huu Phuc
Director, Disaster Management Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
nguyen.huu.phuc@ccfsc.gov.vn