Hanoi: Vietnam is reviewing its flood management strategy after a series of storms this year have left several cities underwater, causing widespread loss of life and property. Vietnam’s government is investing heavily in adapting to what experts are calling a new era of extreme weather, with a national master plan through 2030 promising more than $6 billion to build early warning systems and relocate vulnerable communities. Small towns are expanding drainage systems, creating flood retention areas and transforming riverside areas into green spaces that can absorb and drain heavy rainwater.

According to Thai News Agency, Benjamin Horton, a professor of earth sciences at City University of Hong Kong, stated that Vietnam and its neighbors are at the forefront of climate disruption. The recent storms that have battered Vietnam this year are part of a shift in storm behavior that is a clear sign of global warming. Ocean temperatures are now nearly 1 degree Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels, causing storms to accumulate more moisture.

Vietnam alone has been hit by 12 storms and five tropical depressions this year, including Ragasa, Bualoi, and Matmo, which have either made landfall or caused major flooding in northern and central parts of the country. The latest is Typhoon Kalmaegi, which is expected to make landfall in Vietnam on Friday after wreaking havoc in the central Philippines, killing 66 people. The hardest-hit region is Cebu province.

Vietnam’s state media estimates that extreme weather will cost the country around US$1.4 billion this year, and the government expects to spend US$55 billion to US$92 billion this decade to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change.