‘Leaders Must Take Responsibility’: Hà Nội and the Flood Control Conundrum

​The Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee declared that “leaders must take responsibility,” raising hopes about the government’s commitment to providing basic public services. 

However, as the pressures of urban development intensify, it is ultimately the spirit of transparent work and effective policy implementation that will help Hà Nội overcome its flooding issues.

​On Feb. 12, during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and the collective leadership of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, Chairman Vũ Đại Thắng declared that local leaders would be held responsible if land clearance for anti-flooding projects failed to meet the required schedule. [1]

​This declaration follows the difficult year of 2025 for Hà Nội, a year heavily impacted by climate change. Most notably, the severe flooding caused by Typhoon Bualoi in late September submerged numerous streets and triggered a massive wave of public anger.

Typhoon Bualoi and the Fragility of Urban Memory

​In late September 2025, Typhoon Bualoi brought prolonged heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding across many areas of Hà Nội. [2] Images of stalled cars, flooded apartment basements, and residents pushing their motorbikes through the murky waters quickly inundated social media.

​At the time, residents felt overwhelmed and angry as they struggled through the floodwaters. [3] This frustration was fueled not only by property damage but also by the indignation of seeing newly built urban areas like Võ Chí Công, Long Biên, and Gia Lâm underwater. These developments had only recently become operational following years of significant infrastructure investment.

​In early October 2025, Lê Văn Du, head of the Water Supply and Drainage Infrastructure Management Division of the Hà Nội Department of Construction, publicly apologized to residents for the flooding. [4] 

While it is highly uncommon for a technical official in Vietnamese society to openly accept responsibility in this manner, the apology ultimately reflected substantial pressure from public opinion.

​To address this crisis, by the end of 2025, Hà Nội planned to implement ten urgent public investment projects with a total budget of 212.817 million USD, focusing on upgrading drainage systems, adding retention lakes, rehabilitating canals, and increasing the capacity of pumping stations. [5] 

Several components in areas such as Resco, Ecohome, Tây Hồ Tây, Đoàn Ngoại giao, and Ciputra, along with Võ Chí Công, Long Biên, Đông Anh, and Gia Lâm, are expected to receive about 9.994 million USD in investment, with completion projected for the second quarter of 2026. [6]

​In a society undergoing rapid urbanization, governmental legitimacy is heavily dependent on the provision of basic public services, such as drainage. Consequently, prolonged delays provoke intense public frustration, particularly when residents feel the state apparatus lacks the capacity to address their most immediate needs.

From “Apology” to “Responsibility”

​A technical official’s public apology following Typhoon Bualoi indicates a positive shift in the national administrative culture, signaling a move away from dodging responsibility and toward a willingness to admit institutional weaknesses.

​Nevertheless, an apology is merely a starting point. The declaration that “leaders must take responsibility” only carries weight if it establishes a clear expectation that public officials will align their authority with strict accountability. 

If projects fall behind schedule without any consequences, the administrative system could become stagnant and ineffective, making government promises meaningless. 

Conversely, focusing solely on punishing individual errors—without simultaneously enhancing coordination, decision-making, and transparency—will severely limit long-term effectiveness, as it may lead to a culture of fear rather than one of collaboration and improvement.

​A particularly encouraging aspect of Vũ Đại Thắng’s remarks is his directive for government departments to promptly address grassroots proposals. This shows that people are once again willing to work together and serve the public.

Urban governance challenges are becoming increasingly complex, necessitating a swift and transparent response mechanism to bridge the divide between the government and its citizens.

​However, residents evaluate the government based on their lived realities during the rainy season rather than official statements, particularly in terms of the effectiveness of flood management and response efforts. Should the second quarter of 2026 pass with flooding, this evaluation will likely intensify. 

Expectations for a City in Transition

​Hà Nội is currently navigating a complex transitional phase characterized by the expansion of administrative boundaries, the development of satellite urban areas, surging real estate investment, and increasing population density. 

With this rapid growth, drainage infrastructure is frequently relegated to a “back-end” issue, overshadowed by more politically attractive or symbolic development projects, which can lead to increased flooding and public safety concerns during heavy rainfall.

​Within this context, the assertion that “leaders must take responsibility” serves to rebalance municipal priorities, elevating the fundamental public need for flood prevention on the leadership’s agenda. 

However, it is unrealistic to believe that simply declaring “responsibility” will automatically resolve the deep-rooted structural problems that have plagued Việt Nam’s second most populous city for years.

​To be effective, commitments to accountability must be paired with transparent timelines, public progress updates, and independent evaluations, potentially including input from international experts. 

Furthermore, long-term flood prevention must be woven into a broader urban development strategy that adapts to a changing climate, restrains unchecked concrete expansion, and aggressively protects natural water surfaces and open spaces.

​Currently, Hà Nội, like many large global metropolises, finds itself caught in an “infrastructure trap” where rapid urbanization outpaces the capacity of existing drainage systems. Over the last two decades, the city’s concretized areas have expanded exponentially at the expense of natural, permeable spaces. 

While current municipal projects focus heavily on technical, reactive solutions such as pumping stations, canal upgrades, and retention lakes, these alone are insufficient to address the underlying issues of urbanization and environmental degradation that exacerbate flooding.

​Although Hà Nội may never eradicate flooding, effective governance can drastically mitigate the resulting damage by implementing comprehensive flood management strategies that include community engagement, investment in green infrastructure, and proactive land-use planning. 

As many urban planning experts highlight, achieving sustainable flood prevention demands robust cross-sector cooperation and the seamless integration of land-use planning, technological applications, and green infrastructure. [7]

​Ultimately, torrential rains in a city of over eight million people truly test a leader’s commitment to accountability. This reality echoes the directive issued in January 2026, when General Secretary Tô Lâm once again emphasized the spirit of “say it and do it, act immediately, act correctly, act decisively, follow through to the end, and ensure effectiveness.” 

​The recent statement by the Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee demonstrates the government’s recognition of mounting public pressure. It also reflects the elevated sense of responsibility demanded during what leaders have termed the country’s “era of national rise.”

​However, an open question remains: will these commitments ever translate into concrete action? Although leaders must assume responsibility, the real test is how effectively they enforce this accountability.

​In short, although Hà Nội has launched several urgent projects to resolve its flooding bottlenecks, the core issue remains the speed and effectiveness of their implementation. While raising personal accountability and making public commitments are necessary steps, effective governance and practical solutions must serve as the true foundation for success.

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Lê Hạnh Thuý wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on March 2, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.