Sustainable Urban Drainage solutions applying in Vietnam - situation and proposed

Abstract

Flood and inundation have become a daunting issue in many urban areas in Vietnam. Among many causes of this problem, Climate Change, with heavier rainfalls than predicted, and rapid Urbanization, which exceeds the capacity of the existing drainage systems, are two major factors. Traditional drainage calculations and construction solutions such as embankments, dykes, dams, pumping stations, etc. seem no longer adequate to protect cities from flooding. To address this issue, many Vietnamese cities have researched and piloted various sustainable drainage solutions based on natural conditions, such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs), Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), Naturebased Solutions (NBS), collectively called sustainable drainage. Projects and pilot studies of these solutions have brought positive signs and contributed to reducing flooding in urban areas. This article summarizes some sustainable drainage solutions being applied in Vietnamese  cities, their advantages, limitations when applied, and proposes improvements.

Key word: Sustainable drainage, flooding; inundation; green infrastructure; gray infrastructure.