Flood risk management for the riverside urban areas of Hanoi The need for synergy in urban development and risk management policies

摘要

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons for an unusual over-development offlood-prone areas outside the river dyke in Hanoi, while analysing the urban development and disastermanagement policies, and to suggest policy measures for regulating the rapid urbanizationincorporating catastrophic flood risk planning. Design/methodology/approach – Urban development and disaster management policies wereanalyzed and key stakeholders were interviewed to discover the effectiveness of the policies andgovernance tasks. Findings – A discrepancy was identified between the goals of urban development and disastermanagement. The negative side of this discrepancy has been amplified by ineffective ConstructionRegulations and a lack of specificity with regard to Ordinances on Dyke. These factors, combined withpoor coordination and lack of motivation within the city authorities in managing the Riverside UrbanAreas (RUA), have contributed to the over-development, which consists primarily of squatting andillegal construction. Research limitations/implications – Along with a consideration of community perception ofcatastrophic flood risk in the RUA, which has been examined, the paper further analyses theeffectiveness of related policies for catastrophic risk reduction in the RUA. Practical implications – The paper identifies the following effective measures: build and share aknowledge base concerning catastrophic flood risk and sustainable ways of coping with the flood; beresponsible and develop a commitment to manage flood-prone areas; and develop better coordinationbetween urban development and flood management. Originality/value – The paper suggests new policy standards for managing the RUA developmentand reducing flood risks.