Viet Nam

Country profile

Viet Nam is a middle-income country with a monsoon climate in the north, a tropical climate in the south, and over 3,000km of coastline. Its varied terrain includes mountains, coastal lowlands and a major river delta (the Mekong).

Over 70 per cent of the population is exposed to one or more hazards, including floods, landslides, typhoons, heat waves, earthquakes and drought. The most prominent of these are floods and landslides, which cause human fatalities and damage or destroy homes and agricultural land, threatening rice production and food security. Increasing temperatures and urbanization have contributed to heat waves, which can have severe health effects on children, the elderly, and those who live or work with little protection from the elements.

Disaster management and response in Viet Nam is coordinated under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which is also responsible for the state's management of agriculture, fisheries, irrigation, rural development and related sectors.