Australia, UNDP support Thai Nguyen in disaster resilience

Through seamless coordination among international partners, local authorities, and the community, Thai Nguyen is step-by-step restoring livelihoods and infrastructure while enhancing its disaster resilience.

Restoring infrastructure, restoring livelihoods

On 2 October 2026, a joint delegation from the Australian Embassy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, has visited Thai Nguyen Province.

Australia’s Development Counsellor Naomi Cook and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam Francesca Nardini, officially opened a new disaster-resilient house for Hoang Thi Lien in Dong Hy commune, built with support from the Australian Government.

Hoang Thi Lien said that during the 2025 floods, rising waters reached around 1.5 metres and completely swept away her family’s home. Construction of the new house began in May 2026. After five months of construction, the house was completed, providing Lien and her family with a safer and more resilient place to live, better protected against future flooding.

Naomi Cook, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam, said she was proud to partner with Viet Nam and UNDP to support families affected by last year’s floods.

“From resilient housing and restored livelihoods to stronger local preparedness, this partnership is helping communities recover while reducing future disaster risks. Today, we celebrated the opening of a new home for Hoang Thi Lien and her family, but this house represents something much bigger. It demonstrates how recovery support can help communities not only rebuild after disasters, but also become safer and more resilient to future shocks,” she said.

The completion of the new house is a tangible outcome of a recovery programme aimed at strengthening resilience. It is also one of several initiatives implemented through the Australia - UNDP partnership following the natural disasters of 2025.

At Viet Nam’s request, the programme focuses on helping poor and vulnerable households rebuild their lives after disasters while strengthening community resilience to future risks.

Under the programme, 20 disaster-resilient houses have been newly built, while another 100 have been repaired. In addition, 1,340 households have received cash assistance, and four community infrastructure projects, including road construction, have been completed. The programme is also providing support to 10 local cooperatives.

Recovery - An opportunity to reduce risks and strengthen community capacity

According to Francesca Nardini, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam, resilience-focused recovery is not only about rebuilding what has been lost, but also provides an opportunity to reduce risks and strengthen community capacity. The results in Thai Nguyen demonstrate the effectiveness of combining timely international support with leadership from authorities at all levels and the active participation of affected communities.

From the perspective of state management, Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Director General of the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, stressed the need to closely link disaster prevention, response and recovery efforts, with a focus on strengthening resilience.

“Restoring housing, livelihoods and essential infrastructure needs to go hand in hand with strengthening local preparedness and response capacity,” Son said.

As part of the field visit, the delegation surveyed a 300-metre community road in Ben Do Hamlet, Linh Son Ward. The road is an important transport link serving around 200 households and providing access to nearly 3 hectares of agricultural land.

In addition to improving access and helping sustain local livelihoods, the project has created employment opportunities for people affected by natural disasters, including women, who were involved in the construction work and received wages.

Alongside a working session with the Thai Nguyen Provincial People’s Committee, the delegation met with local households, authorities and the Linh Son Ward disaster response team to assess the results of support for housing, livelihoods, infrastructure and disaster preparedness and response capacity.

Phuong Linh