The Doctoral School initiative, set up by the ANDROID network with the aim to strengthen the nexu... more The Doctoral School initiative, set up by the ANDROID network with the aim to strengthen the nexus between the ‘disaster resilience’ research and teaching is a core element of the overall ANDROID project. The mixed teaching space developed as part of this project has encouraged and promoted the work of doctoral students in the area of disaster resilience. The Doctoral School signifies the ongoing effort of the ANDROID network to continue the processes developed through the ANDROID project beyond the duration of original funding, demonstrating the commitment of the network to develop Doctoral education in the area of disaster resilience. The Residential Doctoral School (RDS) programme for 2015 aims to provide space and opportunity for doctoral students to engage, present, discuss and widely disseminate their research work in the area of disaster resilience. This involve (a) calling for submissions of original piece of doctoral research internationally, (b) providing feedback on the submissions through expert peer review process, (c) providing an opportunity to participate/present research work in a two-day workshop in which additional feedback is provided by a review panel, (d) providing an opportunity to network with experts in the field and (e) disseminate doctoral research work to a wider audience. For this purpose, the ANDROID network international conference (5th International Conference in Building Resilience) in Newcastle Australia ran parallel to the Residential Doctoral School. This volume brings together the contributions of all the doctoral researchers. The papers collated here demonstrate the richness and interdisciplinary nature of the research topics and the theoretical and practical nature of challenges/opportunities addressed by disaster resilience researchers. The submissions cover a wide spectrum of topics including risk assessment and mitigation, post-disaster reconstruction, disaster governess, social/community resilience, and stakeholder engagement. Given the growing need for evidence-based approaches to dealing with disaster situations created by increasing exposure to human/natural hazards and the need for development of research skills/expertise in this area of disaster resilience, the work of the doctoral researchers in this volume is a valuable contribution to a body of knowledge.
Web-based simulations (WBS) are increasingly used by educators to deliver higher education curric... more Web-based simulations (WBS) are increasingly used by educators to deliver higher education curricula. Given the growing number and diversity of students undertaking study in higher education institutions worldwide, it is critical that WBS are situated within a wider social-constructivist approach that facilitates community-based learning. To this end, we argue that the community of inquiry (CoI) framework offers a suitable solution. Based on a series of interviews with university educators and emergency management practitioners this paper investigates how the CoI framework can support the effective use of WBS to deliver disaster studies curricula in the higher education context. The findings indicate that purposefully addressing cognitive, social and teaching presence within a CoI is valuable when WBS are used in higher education and emphasise a range of issues that are particular to the use of WBS and the disaster studies context.
Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power s... more Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand. Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature. Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making. Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost. Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam. Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area. Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand. Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature. Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making. Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost. Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam. Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.
ABSTRACT Through a lens of power as discourse and using a deconstruction of those discourses, the... more ABSTRACT Through a lens of power as discourse and using a deconstruction of those discourses, the research identifies the differential perceptions of power and associated roles of the various stakeholders in Thai construction industry projects and how these perceptions of power affected decisions made, and project progress, in three case studies. Results showed that there are differentiated perceptions of power which alter dynamically across the three projects, creating a complex environment of decision-making within each project. Thai construction stakeholders have different perception of power and associated roles in construction projects. Downstream stakeholders such as contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers have perceptions that the owner of the projects has power to control everything in the project, while upstream stakeholders perceive that designers and consultants have more power to control the project. The sustainability and innovation aspects in the project designs often are neglected by decisions made based on financial aspects where power is concentrated with non-technical stakeholders. The perceptions of power that each stakeholder have are different, and whilst there are positive attributes of understanding power, construction projects often end with conflict, resulting in increases in project time, stage delays, poor working relationships, increased costs and sometimes poor delivery outcomes.
THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF TARGETED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY OF AN AUSTRALIAN REFRIGERATION ... more THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF TARGETED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY OF AN AUSTRALIAN REFRIGERATION COMPANY. Sittimont Kanjanabootra Graduate School of Business and Law RMIT University Australia Email: [email protected] ...
In Vietnam, dam safety assessment is currently undertaken using a standards-based approach. This ... more In Vietnam, dam safety assessment is currently undertaken using a standards-based approach. This traditional approach plays a key role in the design of new dams, as well as the safety assessment of existing dams. However, this approach has limitations in terms of indirectly assessing dam failures as well as addressing input uncertainties. In recent years, many developed countries have moved towards a risk-based approach in dam safety management. This approach overcomes the weaknesses of traditional approaches to dam safety evaluation; to serve this new model of practice, various dam safety assessment tools have been created. Vietnam is currently lacking regulations and guidelines on dam safety risk assessment, making research in this area a priority in order to see any future application of dam safety risk assessment in Vietnam. In this paper, an overview of dam safety assessment in Vietnam is initially provided. Secondly, best practice in dam safety risk assessment in the global context is investigated. Finally, a theoretical framework for dam safety risk assessment in Vietnam is proposed.
In Vietnam, 815 hydropower projects have been approved to date with a total installed capacity of... more In Vietnam, 815 hydropower projects have been approved to date with a total installed capacity of 24,324.3MW. These projects often require the acquisition of large land areas and, as a consequence, communities face relocation and resettlement. Over 90% of relocated inhabitants live in mountainous areas and these are comprised mainly of ethnic minorities. However, ethnic minority customary land rights do not appear to be considered under the Land Law and its associated documents. The rehabilitation and resettlement statement is often prepared after project investment has already received approval from the Provincial people’s committee. The engagement of residents is very limited after project approval, and social impact assessment is not considered. In this paper, the legal framework for resettlement due to hydropower projects in Vietnam is investigated, followed by an analysis of Vietnamese resettlement policy and practice. Social impact is assessed by examining resettlement statist...
The Doctoral School initiative, set up by the ANDROID network with the aim to strengthen the nexu... more The Doctoral School initiative, set up by the ANDROID network with the aim to strengthen the nexus between the ‘disaster resilience’ research and teaching is a core element of the overall ANDROID project. The mixed teaching space developed as part of this project has encouraged and promoted the work of doctoral students in the area of disaster resilience. The Doctoral School signifies the ongoing effort of the ANDROID network to continue the processes developed through the ANDROID project beyond the duration of original funding, demonstrating the commitment of the network to develop Doctoral education in the area of disaster resilience. The Residential Doctoral School (RDS) programme for 2015 aims to provide space and opportunity for doctoral students to engage, present, discuss and widely disseminate their research work in the area of disaster resilience. This involve (a) calling for submissions of original piece of doctoral research internationally, (b) providing feedback on the submissions through expert peer review process, (c) providing an opportunity to participate/present research work in a two-day workshop in which additional feedback is provided by a review panel, (d) providing an opportunity to network with experts in the field and (e) disseminate doctoral research work to a wider audience. For this purpose, the ANDROID network international conference (5th International Conference in Building Resilience) in Newcastle Australia ran parallel to the Residential Doctoral School. This volume brings together the contributions of all the doctoral researchers. The papers collated here demonstrate the richness and interdisciplinary nature of the research topics and the theoretical and practical nature of challenges/opportunities addressed by disaster resilience researchers. The submissions cover a wide spectrum of topics including risk assessment and mitigation, post-disaster reconstruction, disaster governess, social/community resilience, and stakeholder engagement. Given the growing need for evidence-based approaches to dealing with disaster situations created by increasing exposure to human/natural hazards and the need for development of research skills/expertise in this area of disaster resilience, the work of the doctoral researchers in this volume is a valuable contribution to a body of knowledge.
Web-based simulations (WBS) are increasingly used by educators to deliver higher education curric... more Web-based simulations (WBS) are increasingly used by educators to deliver higher education curricula. Given the growing number and diversity of students undertaking study in higher education institutions worldwide, it is critical that WBS are situated within a wider social-constructivist approach that facilitates community-based learning. To this end, we argue that the community of inquiry (CoI) framework offers a suitable solution. Based on a series of interviews with university educators and emergency management practitioners this paper investigates how the CoI framework can support the effective use of WBS to deliver disaster studies curricula in the higher education context. The findings indicate that purposefully addressing cognitive, social and teaching presence within a CoI is valuable when WBS are used in higher education and emphasise a range of issues that are particular to the use of WBS and the disaster studies context.
Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power s... more Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand. Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature. Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making. Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost. Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam. Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area. Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand. Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature. Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making. Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost. Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam. Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.
ABSTRACT Through a lens of power as discourse and using a deconstruction of those discourses, the... more ABSTRACT Through a lens of power as discourse and using a deconstruction of those discourses, the research identifies the differential perceptions of power and associated roles of the various stakeholders in Thai construction industry projects and how these perceptions of power affected decisions made, and project progress, in three case studies. Results showed that there are differentiated perceptions of power which alter dynamically across the three projects, creating a complex environment of decision-making within each project. Thai construction stakeholders have different perception of power and associated roles in construction projects. Downstream stakeholders such as contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers have perceptions that the owner of the projects has power to control everything in the project, while upstream stakeholders perceive that designers and consultants have more power to control the project. The sustainability and innovation aspects in the project designs often are neglected by decisions made based on financial aspects where power is concentrated with non-technical stakeholders. The perceptions of power that each stakeholder have are different, and whilst there are positive attributes of understanding power, construction projects often end with conflict, resulting in increases in project time, stage delays, poor working relationships, increased costs and sometimes poor delivery outcomes.
THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF TARGETED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY OF AN AUSTRALIAN REFRIGERATION ... more THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF TARGETED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY OF AN AUSTRALIAN REFRIGERATION COMPANY. Sittimont Kanjanabootra Graduate School of Business and Law RMIT University Australia Email: [email protected] ...
In Vietnam, dam safety assessment is currently undertaken using a standards-based approach. This ... more In Vietnam, dam safety assessment is currently undertaken using a standards-based approach. This traditional approach plays a key role in the design of new dams, as well as the safety assessment of existing dams. However, this approach has limitations in terms of indirectly assessing dam failures as well as addressing input uncertainties. In recent years, many developed countries have moved towards a risk-based approach in dam safety management. This approach overcomes the weaknesses of traditional approaches to dam safety evaluation; to serve this new model of practice, various dam safety assessment tools have been created. Vietnam is currently lacking regulations and guidelines on dam safety risk assessment, making research in this area a priority in order to see any future application of dam safety risk assessment in Vietnam. In this paper, an overview of dam safety assessment in Vietnam is initially provided. Secondly, best practice in dam safety risk assessment in the global context is investigated. Finally, a theoretical framework for dam safety risk assessment in Vietnam is proposed.
In Vietnam, 815 hydropower projects have been approved to date with a total installed capacity of... more In Vietnam, 815 hydropower projects have been approved to date with a total installed capacity of 24,324.3MW. These projects often require the acquisition of large land areas and, as a consequence, communities face relocation and resettlement. Over 90% of relocated inhabitants live in mountainous areas and these are comprised mainly of ethnic minorities. However, ethnic minority customary land rights do not appear to be considered under the Land Law and its associated documents. The rehabilitation and resettlement statement is often prepared after project investment has already received approval from the Provincial people’s committee. The engagement of residents is very limited after project approval, and social impact assessment is not considered. In this paper, the legal framework for resettlement due to hydropower projects in Vietnam is investigated, followed by an analysis of Vietnamese resettlement policy and practice. Social impact is assessed by examining resettlement statist...
ABSTRACT It is well-known that the use of off-site manufacture (OSM) techniques can assist in tim... more ABSTRACT It is well-known that the use of off-site manufacture (OSM) techniques can assist in timely completion of a construction project though the utilisation of such techniques may have other disadvantages. Currently, OSM uptake within the Australian construction industry is limited. To successfully incorporate OSM practices within a construction project, it is crucial to understand the impact of OSM adoption on the processes used during a construction project. This paper presents how a systematic process-oriented approach may be able to support OSM utilisation within a construction project. Process modelling, analysis and automation techniques which are well-known within the Business Process Management (BPM) discipline have been applied to develop a collection of construction process models that represent the end-to-end generic construction value chain. The construction value chain enables researchers to identify key activities, resources, data, and stakeholders involved in construction processes in each defined construction phase. The collection of construction process models is then used as a basis for identification of potential OSM intervention points in collaboration with domain experts from the Australian construction industry. This ensures that the resulting changes reflect the needs of various stakeholders within the construction industry and have relevance in practice. Based on the input from the domain experts, these process models are further refined and operational requirements are taken into account to develop a prototype process automation (workflow) system that can support and coordinate OSM-related process activities. The resulting workflow system also has the potential to integrate with other IT solutions used within the construction industry (e.g., BIM, Acconex). As such, the paper illustrates the role that process-oriented thinking can play in assisting OSM adoption within the industry.
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The Doctoral School signifies the ongoing effort of the ANDROID network to continue the processes developed through the ANDROID project beyond the duration of original funding, demonstrating the commitment of the network to develop Doctoral education in the area of disaster resilience. The Residential Doctoral School (RDS) programme for 2015 aims to provide space and opportunity for doctoral students to engage, present, discuss and widely disseminate their research work in the area of disaster resilience. This involve (a) calling for submissions of original piece of doctoral research internationally, (b) providing feedback on the submissions through expert peer review process, (c) providing an opportunity to participate/present research work in a two-day workshop in which additional feedback is provided by a review panel, (d) providing an opportunity to network with experts in the field and (e) disseminate doctoral research work to a wider audience. For this purpose, the ANDROID network international conference (5th International Conference in Building Resilience) in Newcastle Australia ran parallel to the Residential Doctoral School.
This volume brings together the contributions of all the doctoral researchers. The papers collated here demonstrate the richness and interdisciplinary nature of the research topics and the theoretical and practical nature of challenges/opportunities addressed by disaster resilience researchers. The submissions cover a wide spectrum of topics including risk assessment and mitigation, post-disaster reconstruction, disaster governess, social/community resilience, and stakeholder engagement.
Given the growing need for evidence-based approaches to dealing with disaster situations created by increasing exposure to human/natural hazards and the need for development of research skills/expertise in this area of disaster resilience, the work of the doctoral researchers
in this volume is a valuable contribution to a body of knowledge.
Papers
Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature.
Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making.
Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost.
Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam.
Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.
Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand.
Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature.
Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making.
Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost.
Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam.
Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.
The Doctoral School signifies the ongoing effort of the ANDROID network to continue the processes developed through the ANDROID project beyond the duration of original funding, demonstrating the commitment of the network to develop Doctoral education in the area of disaster resilience. The Residential Doctoral School (RDS) programme for 2015 aims to provide space and opportunity for doctoral students to engage, present, discuss and widely disseminate their research work in the area of disaster resilience. This involve (a) calling for submissions of original piece of doctoral research internationally, (b) providing feedback on the submissions through expert peer review process, (c) providing an opportunity to participate/present research work in a two-day workshop in which additional feedback is provided by a review panel, (d) providing an opportunity to network with experts in the field and (e) disseminate doctoral research work to a wider audience. For this purpose, the ANDROID network international conference (5th International Conference in Building Resilience) in Newcastle Australia ran parallel to the Residential Doctoral School.
This volume brings together the contributions of all the doctoral researchers. The papers collated here demonstrate the richness and interdisciplinary nature of the research topics and the theoretical and practical nature of challenges/opportunities addressed by disaster resilience researchers. The submissions cover a wide spectrum of topics including risk assessment and mitigation, post-disaster reconstruction, disaster governess, social/community resilience, and stakeholder engagement.
Given the growing need for evidence-based approaches to dealing with disaster situations created by increasing exposure to human/natural hazards and the need for development of research skills/expertise in this area of disaster resilience, the work of the doctoral researchers
in this volume is a valuable contribution to a body of knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature.
Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making.
Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost.
Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam.
Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.
Purpose – In Vietnam, hydropower is a major energy resource and contributes 48.26% to the power system capacity in 2012. One of the main strategic targets in the national power development plan is to give priority to hydropower. However, there is evidence that the most ‘at risk’ in Vietnamese society have, to date, broadly failed to benefit from hydropower development, but rather have become more vulnerable. This paper aims to broaden the perspective of decision-makers (government agencies, investors and banks) in the hydropower industry regarding the environmental and social impact of unrestrained development and the critical need not only to reduce disaster risk for communities, but to provide a sustainable model for Vietnam’s energy demand.
Design/methodology/approach – This position paper presents a critique of public policy in Vietnam related to hydropower industry is undertaken alongside an analysis of socio-economic community resilience and disaster risk reduction literature.
Findings – Small hydropower investment must be delayed until measures are put in place to ensure that multi-stakeholder risk is a central component of the investment dialogue. Current pricing policies are not aligned with the hydropower development management, and this erects barriers to environmentally and socially conscious decision-making.
Practical implications – This paper suggests that the development of small hydropower projects must be curtailed until new measures are put in place. This has practical implications for investors, policy-makers and residents of affected areas. We argue for a significant shift in government strategy towards building resilience as opposed to growth and profit at any cost.
Social implications – While conscious of Vietnam’s energy demands and development goals, this paper investigates the context of increasing disaster risk and ecological pressures as well as social injustice relating to the hydropower industry. This kind of analysis can support future efforts to reduce disaster risk and the vulnerability of marginalized groups in Vietnam.
Originality/value – We present a comprehensive review of Vietnamese hydropower from a disaster resilience perspective and provide analysis that will be useful in further research in this emerging area.