Vietnam, one of the most disaster-prone countries in Southeast Asia, is turning to Japanese expertise to strengthen its resilience against increasingly severe floods and landslides. The collaboration, spearheaded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNESCO, focuses on a trio of measures: protective infrastructure, land-use planning, and early warning systems.
Last year, Vietnam inaugurated its first Sabo dam in Son La province—a Japanese invention designed to hold back rocks and debris during heavy rainfall while allowing water to flow through. Twelve such structures are now planned for the Nam Pam river basin, reflecting a long-term commitment to mitigating the impact of extreme weather events.
Three Pillars of Disaster Prevention
Japan’s disaster prevention strategy, honed over decades of dealing with earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons, rests on three pillars: protective infrastructure, land-use planning, and early warning systems. In Vietnam, this approach is being adapted to local conditions, particularly in the central province of Nghe An, which is frequently battered by floods.
Under a Japan-UNESCO agreement, Nghe An is strengthening hazard mapping and school evacuation drills. The project is expected to directly benefit 15,000 people, with a focus on vulnerable communities in flood-prone areas. The initiative also includes training for local officials and the development of community-based disaster risk management plans.
This transfer of knowledge is part of a broader trend of Japan sharing its disaster management expertise across Asia. For European readers, the collaboration offers a model of how bilateral and multilateral partnerships can enhance resilience—a lesson that resonates as the EU grapples with its own climate-related challenges, from wildfires in southern Europe to flooding in Central and Eastern Europe.
Japan’s involvement in Vietnam also highlights the growing importance of non-European actors in shaping the continent’s disaster preparedness strategies. While the EU has its own mechanisms, such as the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the Japan-Vietnam partnership demonstrates the value of learning from countries with extensive experience in managing natural hazards.
For European policymakers, the Sabo dam project and the UNESCO-backed drills in Nghe An offer concrete examples of how infrastructure and education can be combined to reduce disaster risk. As climate change intensifies, such cross-border cooperation will become increasingly vital—not just in Asia, but globally.
