Location

Vietnam

The Mekong region, including Vietnam, has many vulnerable mountainous areas. There is a high risk of landslides due to the rainfall caused by the monsoon climate, and sufficient management of the mountains tends to be not applied in this region.

 

Issue

Increasing risk of landslides in a mountainous area

The Mekong region has many fragile mountainous areas that are at risk of landslides, especially during rainfall events. Much of this is due to the lack of proper mountain land management. It is necessary to identify the need for vegetation for erosion control and to understand when the risk increases due to weather conditions such as monsoons. However, many of the local residents did not have sufficient skills and know-how necessary for mountain control, making it challenging to address these risks. As such, the increasing risk of landslides and erosion is affecting the livelihood of local people.

 

Solution / Lesson learned

Mountain management technology and know-how by a Japanese company

In this case, the technology of Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co. was utilized. The company has a high level of knowledge and expertise in mountain control technology, which was localized and applied to mountainous areas in Vietnam to reduce the risk of landslide disasters successfully. The company also created landslide hazard maps to educate local residents and established a monitoring system with the goal of continuously managing the mountainous terrain. With this successful case in mind, Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co. is expecting to expand the application of its solutions to other countries in the Mekong region. Since there are many areas with a risk of landslides due to the lack of mountain management and know-how, Kawasaki Geological Engineering Co. will have a great role to play in the capacity building and development of those areas.