Flood-resistant stilt houses of the people of Nghe An
Having lived with floods year-round, many people in Nghe An have gained considerable experience in responding to natural disasters. Building stilt houses is one of the most effective solutions to help people live safely through the storm and flood season.
Low cost, high efficiency
In Chau Nhan commune, Hung Nguyen district, approximately 50% of households live outside the Ta Lam dike, these being households that belonged to the former Hung Nhan commune before the merger. This is a low-lying area, and during the rainy season, water from upstream flows in, causing flood levels to rise.
During peak flood years like 1978, 1988, 2002, 2010… the water would reach the rooftops, forcing people to carry their belongings and run to the dikes to escape the flood; possessions such as motorbikes, rice, livestock, and poultry would pile up in long rows on the dikes for days on end…
However, that was the situation more than a decade ago. In recent years, thanks to the construction of flood-resistant shelters, the people of Chau Nhan commune no longer have to rush around every rainy season. Instead, they proactively prepare food, move their belongings to higher ground, and live and work independently in the safe, elevated shelters while waiting for the water to recede.
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The family of Ms. Le Thi Thoa in Hamlet 9, Chau Nhan Commune, is one of the poor households in the locality that received support to build a flood-resistant stilt house according to Government Decision 716. Ms. Thoa said: "In 2013, my family received 10 million VND in government support, borrowed 10 million VND from the Policy Bank, along with our savings and additional loans from relatives, to build a stilt house to protect us from storms. The total cost at that time was about 60 million VND. Since then, my family has never had to move to the dike to avoid floods like before."
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Based on observation, Mrs. Thoa's shack has a floor area of approximately 15 square meters.2The second-floor storage area is about 3 meters above the ground. It has now been filled with rice, electrical equipment, etc., ensuring it is dry and free from mold.
"Over the past few days, following the storm situation in the North has made me very worried. Therefore, my family proactively moved food and electrical equipment to the second floor early, especially given the heavy rain and strong currents from upstream," Ms. Thoa shared.
Mr. Pham Van Hoan's family in Phu Xuan hamlet is also one of the first households in the area to have a stilt house. Mr. Hoan said: "My family received support from the government to build a flood-resistant stilt house. The house consists of two rooms, upper and lower, with a staircase leading up the side. Normally, everyone lives in the lower room, but during the rainy season, all the belongings are moved to the upper room, and we live there until the storm passes and the water recedes. Thanks to this, the lives and property of my family have been protected for many years."
It needs to be scaled up.
On June 14, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 716/QD-TTg on the pilot implementation of solutions to support poor households in improving safe housing conditions and responding to floods in the North Central and Central Coastal regions. The decision clearly stated the pilot implementation of building flood-resistant shelters for 700 poor households in 14 communes severely affected by floods in 7 provinces: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Phu Yen (2 communes per province, 50 poor households per commune selected by the local authorities). If a selected commune has more than 50 eligible poor households, the selection process will prioritize the following: households with revolutionary merit; households belonging to ethnic minorities; and households in difficult circumstances (elderly, single-parent, disabled, etc.).
The program is implemented using a method of state support, community assistance, and household contributions to build flood-resistant shelters with floors raised 1.5 to 3.6 meters above the flood level at the construction site, and a minimum flood-resistant floor area of 10 square meters.2The main structures such as foundations, frames, and floors are equivalent to those of a solidly built house; the minimum construction cost is 30 million VND per flood shelter.
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In Nghe An province, two localities received state support under this decision: Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen district) and Nam Cuong commune (Nam Dan district), now Chau Nhan and Trung Phuc Cuong communes after the merger, with over 100 thatched huts built.
Mr. Phan Dinh Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Chau Nhan Commune People's Committee, said: "The policy of supporting the construction of flood-resistant shelters for people in the flood-prone area of Chau Nhan commune has proven effective over the years. The shelters do not require high construction costs and are supported by government policies and preferential loans, making implementation easy in the locality. Each shelter costs only 30-70 million VND, suitable for the majority of rural residents' incomes."
“Since the construction of flood shelters, people feel more secure during the rainy season, have stable lives and production, and are striving to escape poverty. Currently, people's living standards are improving, and many young people are working abroad, so they have the means to build more sturdy multi-story houses, drawing inspiration from this practical support program. In addition to the shelter system, Chau Nhan commune has also received support for the construction of community flood shelters, ensuring safe evacuation of residents during the rainy season.”
Mr. Phan Dinh Hoan - Vice Chairman of Chau Nhan Commune People's Committee
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Mr. Nguyen An Toan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Phuc Cuong commune, Nam Dan district, said: "Nam Cuong commune was previously a locality that received support for the construction of flood-resistant shelters for 74 households. Although the construction costs at that time were not very high, after more than 10 years of use, these shelters still serve to protect the lives and property of the people during the rainy season and storms. The people have also proactively repaired and maintained any parts that deteriorated over time. This is a very practical policy, especially for households with difficult circumstances in flood-prone areas, and it needs to be replicated in the future."
According to information from the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department of the Nghe An Department of Construction, the demand for disaster-resistant housing for poor households in the province remains very high.
According to statistics, the province currently has 2,322 disadvantaged households needing support to build flood-resistant housing. Of these, 936 households need to build new houses, and 1,386 households need to repair or renovate their existing homes. To date, the Ministry of Construction has developed a policy to support poor households in building flood-resistant housing based on the multidimensional poverty standard for the 2021-2025 period, which will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. If approved, this will allow more poor households to receive support for building flood- and disaster-resistant housing in the coming period.