Although Vietnam has seen remarkable economic achievements over
the last twenty-five years, the country is still one of the poorest countries in the
world. Unfortunately, the country is prone to many natural hazards. Vietnam is
located in one of the five cyclone centers on the planet. It is estimated that Vietnam
is hit by 4.3 storms and more than 3 floods per year.
Though the aftermaths of natural hazards are sizable, estimating their
impacts is challenging, yet crucial for policy development. This paper aims to
conduct a scientific assessment of the impact of a natural catastrophe to help
understand the multidimensional costs of disasters, and to draw lessons on how the
impacts of natural disasters can be properly assessed. In addition, it provides an
overview of the management of natural disasters and climate change in Vietnam, to
see how the policy system has been working to deal with the risk of natural
disasters and climate change. Finally, it identifies possible options for Vietnam to
move forward to an effective disaster risk management system.