Located on the tropical typhoon belt, Vietnam is considered one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world. Typhoons, floods, droughts and landslides are recurrent and combined claimed 9,500 lives and were responsible for losses equal to 1.5 percent of annual GDP between 2001 and 2010. This situation is compounded by a host of non-climate factors such as high population density, high levels of poverty concentrated in coastal areas vulnerable to extreme events, and extensive low-lying land highly susceptible to flooding. (Source: USAID)
Vietnam experiences high interannual rainfall variability, and both floods and droughts can occur in the span of a single year. The coastal region, particularly south-central, is subject to frequent droughts. The country’s long coastline is exposed to typhoons, which make landfall an average of 6–8 times per year and are accompanied by heavy rains and flooding, high tides and increased storm surges. (Source: USAID) Vietnam has extremely high exposure to flooding, ranked 1st with Bangladesh, including, riverine, flash, and coastal flooding. Vietnam also has high exposure to tropical cyclones and their associated hazards. Drought exposure is slightly lower but still significant as highlighted by the severe drought of 2015–2017. (Source: World Bank). Climate-induced water shortages have already altered river flows and groundwater levels – as of January 2017, the Mekong River was at its lowest recorded levels in a century and the worst drought in 90 years occurred in 2016. This has reduced water availability for irrigation systems, downstream river basins and hydropower reservoirs.
As per Germanwatch, GLOBAL CLIMATE RISK INDEX 2020, Vietnam ranks 6th in climate risk index for the period of 1989-2018.