Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s commercial capital, is confronting a flood reality that residents have learned to endure. On Sept. 30, heavy rain combined with high tides sent the Saigon River and smaller waterways spilling onto streets, flooding roadside eateries and forcing shoppers to wade through knee‑deep water.
Local response and long‑standing adaptation
For many, flooding is a familiar inconvenience. Sixty‑three‑year‑old Vo Dang Thi has raised the floors of her home, while 45‑year‑old restaurant owner Nguyen Ngoc Thuong watches water rise to her knee before it finally recedes after more than two hours. Yet familiarity does not erase the disruption to daily life, commerce and public health.
Why floods are getting worse
Benjamin Horton, a professor of earth science at City University of Hong Kong, explains that climate change is amplifying flood risk by raising sea levels, intensifying downpours and accelerating land subsidence caused by groundwater extraction. Nearly half of the city’s land sits less than one meter above sea level, and much of the drainage network dates back to the French colonial era, when the population was about two million.
A U.K.–funded Global Future Cities Programme study found the existing canals and pumps are struggling to keep pace with the city’s rapid expansion. As the megacity merges with neighboring provinces, the strain on water infrastructure grows.
Government’s $13 billion mitigation plan
In July, city authorities unveiled a $13 billion initiative to address 159 flood‑prone hotspots by 2030. The plan includes major upgrades to flood‑control infrastructure, widening of canals, installation of new pumps and the creation of additional green spaces to absorb runoff. The same month, a climate‑action roadmap was adopted, committing the city to modernize drainage, expand vegetation corridors and improve resilience against higher tides and heavier rains.
These steps reflect Vietnam’s broader ambition to become a high‑income nation by 2045. By strengthening core infrastructure, the government hopes to safeguard homes, businesses and the vital transport network that fuels the country’s export‑driven economy.
Community resilience amid ongoing challenges
Local vendors like Nguyen Thi Nhua, who has sold banh gio from the same sidewalk for 12 years, remain undeterred. “There are still customers who stop by, so I just keep my stall open when it rains or the tide comes in,” she says.
While the new investments signal a proactive stance, residents continue to rely on practical adaptations—elevated homes, waterproof footwear and the willingness to conduct business in water. The city’s efforts to modernize its drainage and expand green infrastructure aim to reduce the need for such daily compromises.
Looking ahead
Experts warn that as global temperatures rise, floods once considered rare could become more frequent, deeper and longer‑lasting. By confronting the twin pressures of climate change and urban growth now, Ho Chi Minh City hopes to set a model for other rapidly expanding Asian megacities facing similar threats.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
