Reducing the impact of seasonal flooding in Vietnam

28 September 2012, AfriCAN Climate
URL: http://www.africanclimate.net/en/cases/reducing-impact-seasonal-flooding-vietnam

This case critiques the implementation of a participatory project on disaster preparedness in Vietnam. The project was implemented by Oxfam UK and two local partners. The partner organisations implemented a range of activities related to early warning among community members, reconstruction, etc. A number of local, regional and national organisations have taken part in most of the activities, and links have developed within and between grass roots and government organisations regarding support, early warning and disaster preparedness

Oxfam has supported and implemented emergency response projects in Vietnam as a reaction to a range of natural disasters, including floods, droughts, typhoons and landslides, as well as implementing community-based disaster preparedness projects in a number of provinces.

The project aimed at reducing the impact of seasonal flooding on vulnerable people through awareness raising, training, various capacity building initiatives and the provision of resources. It was expected that the local government authorities and people will be ‘better able to prepare for and mitigate the effects of floods on their wellbeing and dignity’.

The project’s primary socio-cultural impacts were achieved through enhanced participation, particularly by women. It provided participatory methods, training and support to leaders at village, commune, district and province levels and created opportunities to incorporate this in government practice. The project contributed particularly to human capacity development and increasing capacity to resist environmental shocks.

The project originally had five interrelated objectives:

to build knowledge, skills and resources to mitigate, prepare for and respond to floods amongst leadership and households in 24 flood-affected communes
to facilitate a more targeted, coordinated, timely and effective response to floods in Dong Thap and Tien Giang
to reduce the incidence of flood related diseases affecting people in the project area
to improve flood time food security and the income of selected poor and vulnerable households

to ensure effective and timely programme management and coordination

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