Storm No.10 and Typhoon Yagi have shown that Vietnam can no longer maintain a “relief after disaster” mindset.

The country must shift toward “proactive adaptation” through legal reform, urban planning, resilient infrastructure, financial mechanisms, and technological innovation.

Storm No.10 left devastating consequences: 66 people dead or missing, 164 injured, 349 houses collapsed, and over 172,000 homes damaged.

Nearly 1,500 schools and 145 medical facilities were destroyed.

More than 8,800 power poles fell, cutting electricity to 2.7 million customers, with estimated losses of about USD 630 million.

Around the same time last year, Typhoon Yagi caused even heavier damage: about 344 people dead or missing, nearly 2,000 injured, almost 282,000 homes unroofed, 112,000 flooded, and 284,000 hectares of rice and crops destroyed.

Economic losses exceeded USD 3.2 billion.

These two major storms highlight how natural disasters are becoming increasingly extreme, affecting vast areas - from coastal plains to mountain regions - causing floods, landslides, droughts, and saltwater intrusion.

Tens of thousands of rural homes with tin roofs and wooden pillars cannot withstand high winds.

Weak electricity, telecommunications, and irrigation systems collapse easily.

A single storm can upend the livelihoods of millions of families.

According to the World Bank, climate change caused economic losses equal to 3.2% of Vietnam’s GDP in 2020.

Without decisive adaptation measures, this figure could rise to 12–14.5% of GDP by 2050.

With an economy now exceeding USD 500 billion, such losses would be enormous.

The most vulnerable groups are the poor, small farmers, ethnic minorities in the mountains, and coastal communities.

They lose homes, farmland, and livelihoods, with little ability to recover without external aid.

The divide between those who can adapt and those who cannot is widening.

Natural disasters have exposed long-standing infrastructure weaknesses.

Many dykes, reservoirs, and saltwater prevention systems are deteriorating or no longer suited to new climate conditions.

Rural houses lack construction standards, and cities are flooded after just a few heavy rains.

Disaster risk management remains fragmented.

Population planning still allows communities to live in low-lying, flood-prone, or landslide-risk areas.

Financial mechanisms rely mainly on emergency budgets and charity, lacking sustainability.

Early warning systems are still limited, leaving many citizens unprepared.

Rapid development, urban sprawl, deforestation, and resource overexploitation have weakened nature’s ability to protect itself.

When combined with climate change, these human impacts multiply the damage.

During an online meeting on October 3, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized: “The damage caused by Storm No.10 is extensive, multidimensional, and severe, affecting production and people’s lives. Infrastructure remains weak, and many structures have long failed to meet disaster response needs. This is a profound lesson for us to improve institutions, strengthen risk management capacity, and prepare better for emergencies.”

His remarks underline that the priority is not only post-disaster recovery but also institutional reform - changing the approach from the ground up: urban planning, construction standards, financial mechanisms, and governance.

Short term – emergency response

The government has outlined nine urgent tasks following Storm No.10: rescue victims, repair unroofed homes, rebuild schools, and restore electricity, water, and telecommunications.

The deadlines are tight: repair schools and clinics by October 15, and rebuild collapsed houses by December 15.

The issue is not just speed but ensuring construction quality to prevent future collapse.

Medium term – strengthening resilience

Vietnam needs a comprehensive climate-resilient infrastructure program: reinforcing dykes, reservoirs, irrigation systems, and power grids.

Investment is needed in climate data and modern early warning systems integrated with international networks.

Urban and rural planning must align with risk maps, ending settlement in hazardous zones.

Long term – transforming the development model

The World Bank recommends Vietnam pursue two parallel pathways: resilience and decarbonization.

Achieving this goal will require about USD 368 billion in investment by 2040 - from state budgets, private capital, and international financing.

Vietnam must abandon the “develop first, fix later” model and embed climate change considerations into all planning and investment decisions.

A green economy, renewable energy, eco-friendly urban development, mangrove forest protection, and a sustainable blue economy are key strategies to both cut emissions and boost resilience.

Storms No.10 and Yagi have made it clear: a single disaster can wipe out months or even years of progress.

Vietnam can no longer rely on post-disaster relief but must move toward proactive adaptation - across legislation, planning, infrastructure, financial systems, and technology.

The question is no longer “when will the next storm come,” but “how well are we prepared when it does?”

Lan Anh