Institutional structures underpinning flood management in Vietnam

The Germanwatch global climate risk index ([10]) ranked Vietnam the 6th country most affected by extreme weather events between 1992 and 2011. Similarly, the [35] estimated that 59 percent of Vietnam's total land area and 71 percent of its population were living with the risk of being exposed to extreme storm events and flooding. Like other countries that are prone to natural disasters, the government of Vietnam has developed extensive legislation to improving resilience to and minimise the risks posed by natural disasters. In this study, the existing legal systems regarding flood management are reviewed and opportunities to strengthen them are identified. The legislation was reviewed in consultation with flood management specialists and government officials at the central, provincial and district levels. Local community members were also interviewed to gain insights as to how they are affected by floods and impacted by flood mitigation measures. Whilst there are a large number of legal documents pertaining to natural disaster management, they are fragmented, overlapping and repetitive. In addition, lack of training and insufficient technical and financial support at local levels exacerbates the problems. Recommendations are made to strengthen institutional support to economic sectors and individuals who are victims of extreme flood events. These include: a shift from the current 'top-down' approach to include a 'bottom-up' approach; encouragement of transparency and accountability; decentralisation of the allocation of both technical and financial resources to improve training, particularly at the local levels and; to investigate the merits of introducing insurance schemes. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.