Project Description
Northern Vietnam is highly vulnerable to increasingly intense storms and floods, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is often unprepared for climate extremes. The ADB-funded project Promoting Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure in Northern Vietnam introduces non-conventional, nature-based engineering techniques to reduce the vulnerability of rural infrastructure. With a focus on bioengineering—using native vegetation for slope stabilization and riverbank protection—the project demonstrates sustainable, low-cost alternatives to traditional concrete methods. Two pilot demonstration sites were established in Bac Kan and Son La provinces, alongside conventional infrastructure projects, to showcase how bioengineering can mitigate erosion and flood impacts while providing additional community benefits.
Objectives, Activities and Results
The project aims to build climate resilience by identifying and testing practical, community-maintainable solutions for rural roads, irrigation, and flood protection. ICEM’s contributions include the technical design and supervision of bioengineering installations such as vetiver grass lines and brush layering techniques. These interventions are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and offer livelihood co-benefits. The project trains local contractors, communities, and government officials in bioengineering, develops integration strategies for broader adoption through training curricula and standards, and produces climate risk assessments to guide future infrastructure planning. The results demonstrate the viability of climate-resilient infrastructure that is accessible, sustainable, and rooted in local knowledge and materials.
