Asian Cities Climate Resilience
7 Conclusions and recommendations 7.1 Climate change resilience in Hue City Due to the natural environment, the historical legacy and urbanisation, Hue City has its own special identity that significantly influences its resilience to climate change. By examining the four indicators in the City Resilience Framework of ACCCRN, it is evident that both Hue City government and citizens have significantly been strengthening their capacity to cope with extreme weather and other disruptions in the short term. But some important components still need to be improved for an effective long-term response. Regarding health and well-being, our research shows that human vulnerability is now mitigated by more investment in healthcare systems and other basic services, such as treated water, food and energy for everyday life. Hue citizens are able to easily access these services during normal situations, as well as during and after disruption. Local governments and citizens are also establishing safeguards to human life and health by strengthening houses, making rescue plans available and integrating disaster-mitigation measures into public construction. However, livelihoods and employment are still unsustainable, with limited accrued financial resources constraining people’s ability to recover after disruptions. In terms of society and economy, Hue has some traditional cultural values which have contributed to strong mutual support and a stable and secure society both in everyday life and during challenging situations. The shortcomings of Hue City are its insufficient financial capacity and limited contingency funds. Although a fund for disaster risk reduction is available at the local level, the needs of local people after disruptions have not been met, so they have mostly relied on outsiders for support. The infrastructure and environment of Hue City have been considerably upgraded for better resilience. We recognise that Hue City has invested in public construction, drainage systems, waste collection, information technology and other services for emergency situations. This mitigates the physical exposure and vulnerability of the city, but in some cases these investments are not systematic. This is especially true for the natural environment, as critical ecosystems have not received enough maintenance in the face of human pressures, leading to degradation and reduction of the resilience of Hue City. Regarding leadership and strategy, it is clear that the municipal government has raised its awareness of climate change resilience and taken some action in this area. Policymakers have recognised the importance of public participation to some extent and integrated it into recent relevant policies. However, in order to make polices work effectively, they need more vision and to carefully allocate their limited budget to prioritised projects and strategies. To some extent, urbanisation has contributed to the climate resilience of Hue City by leading to the upgrading of infrastructure, expanded healthcare systems and new forms of employment. However, it has also created disadvantages for people due to the lack of long-term or systematic planning, and due to the loss of livelihoods for those in peri-urban areas.
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