Hanoi targets enhanced disaster resilience and community safety

Hanoi has established a strategic goal for the 2026-2030 period to enhance community awareness and capacity for disaster prevention and climate change adaptation. The city aims to shift focus toward proactive prevention to mitigate the increasing damage caused by extreme weather, such as storms, tropical depressions, and heavy rainfall.

In 2025, consecutive storms caused significant destruction in the capital, including the flooding of at least 15,000 homes and the loss of 8,000 hectares of crops. Economic damages were estimated at over 600 billion VND. Continued heavy rains in 2026 have also caused deep flooding in areas near the Bui, Tich, and Cau rivers, disrupting local lives.

On a broader scale, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) emphasizes that resilience begins at the household level. This approach advocates for safe housing and risk-based urban planning. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), natural disasters caused over 270,000 deaths and affected nearly 700 million people between 2020 and 2024, highlighting the urgent need for long-term investment in prevention and infrastructure.