From August 4–6, 2026, a delegation from the Industrial Promotion Division of Kochi Prefecture (Japan) visited and worked in Vietnam, focusing on disaster prevention and mitigation. The trip included a field survey in Quang Tri Province and a working session with the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. This activity was coordinated with support from B&Company Vietnam in its role as the Kochi Vietnam Support Desk.

Background of the Cooperation

In recent years, the Kochi prefectural government has continued to promote cooperation with Vietnam in disaster prevention and mitigation, through information exchange, experience sharing, and research into solutions suited to Vietnam’s practical conditions. Following a meeting between VDDMA and the Kochi delegation in February 2026, both sides agreed to continue field survey activities to deepen their understanding of actual needs and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

Field Survey in Quang Tri

On August 4–5, the Kochi delegation met with the Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment and conducted site visits at several disaster-affected locations in the province — a locality with varied terrain and a coastline of nearly 200 kilometers. The itinerary included a stretch of the Thach Han River in Nam Dong Ha Ward and Ai Tu Commune, where protective embankments have already been built; coastal areas in Cua Viet and Ben Hai communes, where erosion is affecting dyke and breakwater systems; and the low-lying Nam Hai Lang Commune, which regularly floods during the rainy season.

Source: B&Company

Representatives from the Sub-Department of Irrigation and Disaster Prevention shared specific figures: a dangerous erosion stretch along the southern bank of the Thach Han River (in Quang Tri Ward) runs nearly 7.7 kilometers, with some points cutting close to residents’ homes, affecting more than 150 households and a main irrigation canal; most of this stretch still lacks embankment protection. Coastal erosion across the province has also exceeded 16 kilometers, raising the risk of encroachment on several beaches that once drew tourists. Department representatives noted that limited local resources mean current measures remain largely temporary, falling short of the comprehensive, long-term solutions needed.

Overall, the Kochi delegation observed that the surveyed sites present distinct and fairly diverse conditions, with disaster risks affecting not only infrastructure such as roads and housing but also tourism, aquaculture, and local livelihoods.

Meeting with VDDMA: Assessing Cooperation Potential with Kochi Prefecture

On August 6, the Kochi delegation held a working session with VDDMA to continue discussions on the direction of cooperation. For its part, VDDMA noted several similarities between Central Vietnam — particularly Quang Binh and Quang Tri — and Kochi Prefecture, as both regularly face typhoons, heavy rain, flooding, and landslides. VDDMA also shared examples of Japanese-supported disaster prevention structures in Vietnam, including the country’s first sabo dam on a single river basin in Son La Province, which is now operational and has shown early effectiveness in retaining sediment, rocks, and driftwood.

For its part, the Kochi delegation noted that in Japan, flash floods with a speed and destructive force similar to what VDDMA described in Lai Chau are referred to as “tsunamis on the mountain” — a term reflecting how sudden and dangerous this type of disaster can be.

As a prefecture that regularly faces typhoons, heavy rainfall, and steep mountainous terrain similar to Quang Tri, Kochi has long-standing experience developing disaster prevention solutions — an area where Kochi-based companies hold particular expertise. For riverbank and coastal erosion in Quang Tri, Kochi’s erosion-control embankment and structural solutions could offer a useful reference, particularly for erosion stretches near residential areas. For flash-flood risk in mountainous areas, early monitoring and warning systems — a field both sides identified as having strong cooperation potential — could help residents evacuate proactively without requiring large-scale infrastructure investment. For sluice gate systems in flood-prone areas, Kochi’s moderately priced automated opening-and-closing equipment could serve as a complement to existing systems that still require manual operation during power outages.

The Kochi delegation indicated it would continue discussions with Japanese companies with expertise in disaster monitoring and early warning to explore approaches suited to Vietnam’s actual conditions.

About the Kochi Vietnam Support Desk

This visit is one of the activities carried out under the Kochi Vietnam Support Desk (Kochi SDV), operated by B&Company under the authorization of the Kochi Prefectural Industrial Promotion Center.

Beyond disaster prevention, Kochi-based companies also hold strengths in industrial machinery, agricultural machinery, civil engineering equipment, environmental and biomass technology, as well as paper and wood products. Vietnamese organizations and businesses interested in exploring cooperation opportunities with Kochi companies are welcome to contact the Kochi Vietnam Support Desk for connection and support:

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