In October 2009, Typhoon Mirinae struck central Viet Nam, and led to very high rainfall in the upstream areas of the Ha Thanh River near the city of Quy Nhon. In the two wards of Nhon Binh and Nhon Phu on the edge of Quy Nhon city, this upstream rainfall triggered disastrous flooding with little or no warning to residents. Throughout Binh Dinh province, 22 people lost their lives, and in Nhon Binh and Nhon Phu property damage and loss of livestock was severe. Since that flood event, the provincial and district government have undertaken a number of urban development initiatives in collaboration with various international organizations, including ISET. These initiatives have included a detailed study of the 2009 flood event.

Other actions include an update of the city?s Master Plan, undertaken by the French urban planning firm AREP; an urban drainage Plan taking into account climate change produced in collaboration with GIZ incorporating the recent World Bank drainage investment project; the nationally funded Eastern Dike project to upgrade and restore the main dike system along the river and Thi Nai lagoon; and two projects funded by Rockefeller Foundation and implemented in collaboration with ISET: one dealing with mangrove restoration along the shores of the Thi Nai lagoon, and the other with community awareness raising and flood early warning systems in Nhon Phu and Nhon Binh. The Department of Transportation also built a major new highway across the floodplain to connect the industrial zone of Nhon Hai with the central highland provinces of Kon Tum and Gia Lai. In addition, ISET organized training and capacity building in spatial analysis for several technical departments of local government. In addition to these special studies and projects, the Department of Construction has approved a number of detailed local plans for the area featuring particular development and investment projects. All of this activity was oriented to addressing flood risk and urban development planning in the floodplain of the Ha Thanh and Kon rivers.

This policy brief draws on these experiences, as well as on parallel studies undertaken in peri-urban areas of Can Tho, Da Nang and Hue cities, to summarize key findings about urban planning and flood risk management for Quy Nhon (Tyler et. al. 2016). Our recommendations are intended to support improved urban development practice in Quy Nhon and in Binh Dinh province so that the city may achieve its goals of green, resilient and high quality urban development in order to continue to attract investors and ensure the future security and quality of life of residents.

Please note there are slight differences in the Vietnamese and English version of these briefs. The Vietnamese versions have greater relevance to those working in Vietnamese domestic policy. Keywords: Disaster Risk Reduction/Hazard Management; Floods, Hurricanes, Typhoons; Learning from Natural Hazards; Urban Planning; Water Management