On July 2nd, 2026, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Construction organized a consultation workshop on the draft Circular guiding the Assessment of the resilience of urban areas to climate change. The workshop was attended by representatives from the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, various ministries, departments, localities, experts, and scientists, aiming to refine the legal framework and assessment tools for urban management and development in the new phase.
Speaking at the workshop on behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Construction, Nguyen Cao Vien, Deputy Director of the Department of Urban Development stated that after more than 40 years of Đổi Mới (Renewal), Vietnam's urbanization process has achieved significant milestones. The country's urban system has expanded rapidly in both scale and quality, gradually forming a modern urban network that has made substantial contributions to economic growth and improved the quality of life for people.
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Deputy Director of the Department of Urban Development Nguyen Cao Vien spoke at the workshop.
However, along with the pace of urbanization, Vietnamese cities are increasingly experiencing the impacts of climate change, with an increased frequency of extreme weather events, and complex situations such as flooding, drought, landslides, saltwater intrusion, and sea-level rise, requiring comprehensive solutions to enhance resilience and adaptation.
Therefore, the issuance of the Circular providing guidance on the assessment of urban climate resilience is regarded as a concrete step in implementing the Party's and the State's major policies on developing climate-resilient cities. It also fulfills the requirement set out in Clause 4, Article 16 of the Government's Decree No. 35/2026/ND-CP, which assigns the Ministry of Construction to promulgate the criteria for assessing the climate resilience of urban areas. The Circular will also provide a standardized methodology for assessing urban climate resilience nationwide, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of state management and supporting local authorities in developing investment roadmaps for safe, resilient, and sustainable urban development.
A key highlight of the draft Circular is the first-ever development of a unified and quantitative set of criteria for assessing the climate resilience of urban areas. Under the draft, climate resilience is defined as the capacity of an urban area to withstand, adapt to, maintain its essential functions, and recover from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters, thereby ensuring its continued development.
The assessment framework is structured around five major categories: urban development governance and policies; essential urban infrastructure; the ecological environment; social capacity; and economic and financial capacity. Within each category, the indicators are designed to provide specific and measurable assessments tailored to the characteristics of different types of urban areas. Together, they offer a comprehensive evaluation covering urban planning, infrastructure investment, environmental protection, disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery, as well as the mobilization of resources to support sustainable urban development.
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Director of the Department of Urban Development Tran Quoc Thai concluded the workshop.
At the workshop, many experts, scientists, and representatives of provincial and municipal Departments of Construction emphasized that, as climate change continues to become more severe, extreme, and unpredictable, strengthening the adaptive capacity and resilience of urban systems has become an urgent priority for ensuring sustainable urban development.
The participants also commended the drafting committee's scientific and quantitative approach to developing the assessment criteria, noting that the framework is designed to be applied consistently nationwide. They expressed the view that the issuance of the Circular providing guidance on the assessment of urban climate resilience would provide local authorities with a sound basis for evaluating current conditions, identifying weaknesses in infrastructure, governance, and resource capacity, and formulating appropriate investment plans to strengthen urban resilience against the impacts of climate change.
In addition, many participants recommended that the component indicators be further reviewed to ensure their practicality and feasibility, while taking into account the specific conditions and circumstances of localities.
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Overview of workshop.
Concluding the workshop, on behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Construction, Director of the Department of Urban Development Tran Quoc Thai emphasized that developing a set of criteria for assessing urban climate resilience is an entirely new task, but one of great significance for the development of Vietnam's urban system. He noted that the assessment framework is intended not only as an evaluation tool but also as a basis for local authorities to identify existing shortcomings and constraints, thereby enabling them to proactively formulate investment plans, strengthen adaptive capacity, and reduce climate change-related risks.
Thai also requested the drafting committee to continue studying and fully incorporate the comments and recommendations made at the workshop. He also expressed his expectation that, once finalized and promulgated, the Circular would establish a scientific, consistent, and practical assessment framework, enabling local authorities to proactively strengthen their resilience to climate change and contributing to the development of a green, safe, climate-resilient, and sustainable urban system in Vietnam.