Living with typhoon and flood disasters : a case study in Huong Phong commune, Tam Giang lagoon area, central Vietnam

Abstract

Central Vietnam frequently suffers from typhoons and floods. Disaster preparedness for local residents is one of the major focuses of efforts to mitigate natural disasters. In Huong Phong commune, located beside the Tam Giang lagoon in Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province, a research team focused on three specific objectives: 1) evaluating the impacts of typhoons and flooding on local residents over the past 25 years, 2) describing the activities of local authorities in responding to natural disasters, and 3) identifying disaster adaptation and mitigation behavior of local residents. The study shows that local residents' working and living conditions were seriously influenced by typhoons and flooding, particularly by major flooding in 1999. To reduce the impact of disasters, Committees for Flood and Typhoon Control were established at the commune and village levels to coordinate the preparedness and response of residents before, during and after floods and typhoons. Preparedness and response efforts at the local level are mainly based on local resources, under the guiding credo "four on the spot," which covers local leadership, local forces on the spot, local materials and local logistics when organizing disaster prevention activities. The study found that, to prepare themselves for future disasters, local people diversified their work, constructed reinforced houses with elevated foundations and mezzanine levels, stocked up on food reserves, bought boats and used their local knowledge to help predict future floods and typhoons.