The Department of Housing and Urban Development of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has highlighted the success of the PolyUrbanWaters project in Sam Neua, which has pioneered the specification of a water-sensitive development concept for a Laotian city through a comprehensive Base-Line study. This study culminated in the presentation of a detailed water-sensitive development plan. The plan was meticulously crafted for two peri-urban villages and received official recognition as a planning document by the city’s Project Management Implementation Committee (MIC) in July 2024. The plan identifies strategic projects and outlines specific measures to be incorporated into the city’s and villages’ financial planning over short, medium, and long-term horizons, ensuring effective implementation and sustainable urban development.

Driven by rapid climate, socio-economic, environmental, and political change, flood risks in urban regions are on the rise. Given that cities and urban regions are highly complex and integrated systems comprising social, ecological and infrastructure domains, flood risks in urban regions are characterized by high levels of complexity, such as cascading effects, interconnected risks and interacting risk drivers. To ensure the effectiveness of risk management interventions, enhanced understanding and empirical evidence of the complex nature of urban flood risks is needed. Failing to understand how risks interact across systems, and not identifying interactions of underlying risk drivers and root causes can lead to maladaptation in planning. Addressing this, we use impact chains and impact webs, i.e. conceptual risk models that have been co-created and validated in a participatory manner, to break down and understand the complex nature of flood risks, using the highly flood-prone urban region of Hue in Central Vietnam as a case study. Results show that flood risks and impacts in Hue are deeply interconnected, with cascading effects across systems. Further, our analysis reveals that risks and impacts are induced by the same underlying risk drivers and root causes. The co-development of conceptual flood risk models in Hue provides a useful methodology to move from systemic flood risk analysis to systemic flood risk management.

Flood risks are exacerbating around the globe, often exceeding capacities to adapt, thus leaving people at risk and raising critical questions on how adaptation gaps can be overcome. In response to observed flood protection gaps, a behavioural turn in flood risk management is observed (Kuhlicke et al. 2020). This turn is characterised by an increased motivation of households to engage in individual flood protection on the one hand and institutionally shifted responsibilities from public authorities towards individuals on the other. This however evokes critical social, political, and ethical questions on the role and contribution of households (and other actors) in risk management. Therefore, our research aims to explore how contributions to flood risk management are divided between households, different levels of government, and other actors on paper vs. in practice, by highlighting key empirical research findings from the case study of Hue, a flood-prone urban region in Central Vietnam. Methodologically, the study draws upon a qualitative content analysis of national and provincial legal flood risk governance documents and statistical analyses of household survey results (n=606) from March and April 2023. Conceptually, the research draws on social contract theory (Blackburn & Pelling 2018) to reveal differences between the legal-institutional, perceived, and practised social contracts for flood risk management, including underlying drivers for observed disparities.

On paper, public authorities at different levels of government (from national to local) are legally assigned a primary role in flood risk management, particularly when it comes to financing, preparedness, and response. At the same time, 60% of surveyed households perceive themselves as being the most responsible actor for flood risk management. Hence, households attribute a significantly higher level of responsibility for engaging in flood risk adaptation to themselves as opposed to local and national government authorities, civil society, foreign aid actors, and the private sector. In practice, a significant share of households (89%) has engaged in diverse temporary preparedness and response actions during past flooding incidents, such as placing sandbags in front of the house. However, only few households (16%) have engaged in permanent actions such as elevating the house floor, and only 5% have implemented these actions proactively, highlighting a significant gap for adaptive actions compared to coping interventions. The assessment of underlying drivers of perceived and practised social contracts revealed that amongst other factors, income and risk perception particularly shape perceived responsibility to act, while past experiences and coping appraisal shape people’s motivation to act. The presentation concludes with context-specific policy recommendations and avenues for future research that can contribute to closing flood risk management gaps. All-in-all, the presentation thus provides novel insights for navigating complex questions around flood risk management contribution divisions between different stakeholders, and more specifically understanding and optimising household engagement in flood risk governance practice in Hue and other cities facing similar challenges.

Managed retreat, a key strategy in climate change adaptation for areas with high hazard exposure, raises concerns due to its disruptive nature, vulnerability issues and overall risk in the new location. On-site upgrading or near-site resettlement is seen as more appropriate and effective compared to a relocation far from the former place of living. However, these conclusions often refer to only a very limited set of empirical case studies or do not sufficiently consider different context conditions and phases in resettlement. Against this background, this paper examines the conditions and factors contributing to community resilience of different resettlement projects in Metro Manila. In this urban agglomeration reside an estimated 500 000 informal households, with more than 100 000 occupying high-risk areas. In light of the already realized and anticipated climate change effects, this precarious living situation exposes families, already socio-economically vulnerable, to an increased risk of flooding. The response of the Philippine government to the vexing problem of informal dwellers has been large-scale resettlement from coasts, rivers and creeks to state-owned sites at urban fringes. However, only very few resettlement projects could be realized as in-city projects close to the original living space. The study employs a sequential mixed-method approach, integrating a large-scale quantitative household survey and focus group discussions (FGDs) for a robust comparison of resettlement types. Further, it reveals community-defined enabling factors for managed retreat as climate change adaptation strategy.

Results indicate minor variations in well-being conditions between in-city and off-city resettlement, challenging the expected impact of a more urban setting on resilience. Instead, essential prerequisites for resettlement involve reduced hazard exposure, secure tenure and safety from crime. Beyond these essential conditions, social cohesion and institutional support systems emerge as significant influencers for the successful establishment of well-functioning new settlements. With this findings, the study contributes to the expanding body of literature on managed retreat, offering a comprehensive evaluation based on extensive datasets and providing entry points for the improvement of retreat as a climate change adaptation strategy.

Living With Water examines current issues at the intersection of urban planning, urban water management and various key sectors and provides a comprehensive perspective on integrative approaches through the case studies presented. The articles in the Living With Water issue are based on experiences from cities around the world and provide an important link between the theoretical framework and local practice.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is one of the most rapidly urbanizing cities in the world, and this urbanization is driving an increase in the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The UHI effect is the experience of urban areas getting higher temperatures than rural areas due to the concentration of heat-absorbing materials such as concrete and asphalt. This study analyzed air temperature, wind speed and direction data from Phnom Penh in 2021 to investigate the UHI effect and its impact on human thermal discomfort. The study found that the UHI intensity is stronger in the central business district (CBD) of Khan Boeung Keng Kang than in the suburban district of Khan Pou Senchey. This is likely due to the higher built-up area and lower wind speed in Khan Boeung Keng Kang. The study also found that the UHI intensity is stronger during the dry season than during the wet season. This is likely due to the lower humidity during the dry season, which allows surfaces to absorb and retain more heat. The increased UHI intensity in Phnom Penh can create significant human thermal discomfort, especially during the daytime. This discomfort can lead to a variety of health problems, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The study concludes that it is important to take steps to mitigate the UHI effect in Phnom Penh and other rapidly urbanizing cities. This could include measures such as increasing green space, using lighter-colored building materials, and promoting sustainable transportation options. The results of this study can enhance more understanding of the UHI effects and have practical implications on the appropriate UHI-related mitigation and adaptation measures.