Resilience Without Borders: Building Regional Readiness through Local Solutions in Malaysia and Vietnam

Abstract

Disasters triggered by natural hazards, such as storms, flooding, and landslides, are becoming increasingly severe and frequent in Southeast Asia, driven by rapid urbanisation and the growing impacts of climate change. The challenge of managing urban disasters, particularly floods, is further complicated by demographic changes, especially the rising number of older adults living in urban areas. These overlapping risks point to the urgent need for disaster management strategies that are adaptive, inclusive, and collaborative, with particular attention to vulnerable populations such as senior citizens. Although urban flooding is often viewed as a localised issue, it is influenced by broader regional dynamics, including common climate patterns and parallel trends in urban development and population ageing. Many ASEAN countries are affected by the same extreme weather events. For example, Typhoon Yagi in 2024 impacted northern Vietnam as well as other parts of the region. This highlights the transboundary nature of flood risk and the importance of regional coordination, knowledge sharing, and integrated policy responses. This article explores how governments and non-governmental organisations in Vietnam and Malaysia are working together to strengthen urban flood response and build community resilience, with a focus on supporting senior citizens. Based on focus group interviews, the chapter showcases practical, community-based strategies such as neighbourhood early warning systems and social support networks. These traditional, culturally appropriate, and human-centred approaches have proven especially effective in reaching older populations. For practitioners, our study offers replicable and scalable solutions grounded in local realities. For policymakers, they demonstrate the value of linking grassroots innovation with regional policy instruments such as the AADMER Work Programme and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. In line with the ASEAN theme of “Beyond Borders,” the chapter calls for deeper cross-border collaboration, shared governance, and regional learning to build inclusive and resilient urban communities.