Atlas of housing vulnerability and measures for safe housing in Viet Nam

The publication of the “Atlas of housing vulnerability & measures for safe housing in Vietnam” comes at a time when the National Strategy for natural disaster prevention, response and mitigation has called for the review and complement of building codes and construction plans in line with natural disaster characteristics in each region of Vietnam. The Atlas contributes to this national objective.

The Atlas goes further in its objectives, linking:

• the regional natural disaster characteristics

to

• thecharacteristics of local common contemporary housing in each region.

The contents

• Part 1 of the Atlas, housing vulnerability is assessed in terms of (a) the hazards, and (b) local conditions and construction practice and materials in four main hazard and habitat areas of Vietnam– the northern mountains area, the Central Coastal area, the Highlands and the Mekong delta region.
• Part 2 the Atlas links the risks in local housing to the appropriate measures to be adopted locally to achieve safer houses (or public buildings). These appropriate safe construction measures are based on the guiding principles of safe flood and cyclone resistant 10 key principles of flood and storm resistant construction, tested over 20 years in various regions of Vietnam by Development Workshop and the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Department of Construction and through their application in different regions of Vietnam and elsewhere worldwide.
• Part 3 of the Compendium proposes models of ‘strengthened’ safe houses, within average three house types by region each one representing the local architecture, tradition, the evolution of housing and a cost estimate of the strengthening features that can be used.
• Part 4 of the Compendium provides the detailed specification sheetsfor each safe construction guideline and each specific technical procedure and or materials that can be used.
• Part 5 presents 2 detailed models(3 & 5) with technical drawings, bill of quantities and estimated costs.

Who for?

The Atlas provides the shelter risk assessment and safety guidelinesthat address and enable different disaster risk reduction practitioners:

• architects,
• engineers
• construction technicians,
• local authorities
• NGO

to plan for, design and manage safe construction and reconstruction programmes with communities.

The Atlas assessment of housing vulnerability in Vietnam is based on surveys carried out by Development Workshop staff in different regions of Vietnam and building on 23 years experience of disaster risk reduction in shelter and public building in Vietnam.