Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City’s anti-flood systems can no longer keep pace with rapid urban growth and climate change. Experts call for adaptive, flexible approaches.
Over the past two decades, both cities have invested tens of trillions of dong in drainage systems, pumping stations, detention lakes, and tidal control infrastructure.
Many once-flooded areas have seen improvement. However, flooding still occurs in other parts, especially when heavy rain coincides with high tides.
The issue is not underinvestment, but rather that urban development has outpaced infrastructure capacity.
Most systems were built based on outdated data on rainfall, tides, and population. As cities expanded and extreme weather became more frequent, the original designs became obsolete.
New areas were raised in elevation, pushing water into older, lower-lying zones. Natural flows were disrupted, slowing drainage and creating new flood hotspots.
This phenomenon reflects what economists call “path dependency” - cities remain locked into outdated models even as realities change.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City stuck in an infrastructure trap
Hanoi flooded following the impact of Storm No. 11’s circulation. Photo: Dinh Hieu.
Researchers from the World Bank describe this as an “infrastructure trap” - when major investments in one system make change prohibitively expensive.
Future resources must then go toward maintaining and expanding that same model, leaving little room for innovation.
For example, Hanoi’s drainage system was designed decades ago around the To Lich - Nhue river basin. As the city expanded west and south, the system became inadequate.
Building a completely new drainage network is too costly, so Hanoi continues to operate within the old framework.
Ho Chi Minh City faces a similar challenge. While tidal control systems have helped, tide levels in Nha Be - Phu An rise by 0.2–1.8 cm per year.
Once tides exceed the system’s design threshold, upgrades are required, but overhauling the entire network exceeds the city's financial capacity.
This creates a paradox: minor adjustments are ineffective, but large-scale reforms are unaffordable.
From resisting water to coexisting with it
The center of Thai Nguyen Province suffered historic flooding in October 2025. Photo: Viet Hung.
Experts from JICA and the World Bank agree: no city can be completely flood-proof.
A more feasible goal is minimizing damage, managing floods to safe levels, and enhancing resilience.
Many countries have shifted from “fighting water” to “governing water”.
Instead of rushing water out, urban designs now incorporate temporary water retention: sunken parks, low-lying plazas, permeable roads, and multi-use parking lots that double as detention ponds.
Sensors and digital mapping systems track rainfall, tides, and flows in real time, enabling proactive responses.
In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has established a Smart City Operations Center (IOC) to monitor and analyze flood data.
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Can Tho are deploying rain monitoring and flood warning systems.
When integrated with GIS platforms and hydrological models, these tools allow cities to move from reactive drainage to proactive management.
Lessons for emerging cities
Despite multiple measures, Ho Chi Minh City has yet to solve its flooding problem. Photo: Nhu Sy.
Smaller or mountainous urban areas can learn from these major cities.
First, understand water flow before building anything. Digital elevation models (DEM) and watershed analysis can pinpoint flow paths, lowlands, and collection zones.
Second, design flexible infrastructure. Don't rely solely on pipes and pumps. Allocate space for water - parks, lakes, and temporary storage areas.
Third, use real-time data and seasonal reviews. Treat each rainy season as a test to adjust designs and operations.
Fourth, involve citizens. Encourage residents to report flooding, helping authorities respond quickly and accurately.
Mountainous areas require special attention. Steep terrain and narrow streams enable fast drainage but raise risks of sudden floods.
Preserving natural flood corridors, avoiding stream encroachment, and building modular infrastructure near population clusters can mitigate disaster risks at a lower cost.
Planning for a flexible, learning city
Looking back, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City’s anti-flood efforts were successful within their initial scopes.
However, urban growth and climate patterns have since shifted, exposing the natural limitations of their models.
These early programs helped urbanize the cities but also created development inertia - a path from which it’s hard to diverge.
The answer isn’t to stop investing, but to invest in flexibility and adaptive systems.
Path dependency is a reminder that the future should not be constrained by what worked in the past.
With the right pivot, cities can avoid becoming trapped by their own development history.
Vietnamnet.vn
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