The “Storm Resistant Housing for a Resilient Da Nang” project was implemented effectively by the city’s Women’s Union from September 2011 to September 2014.  The project was part of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) programme, which is funded by the USA’s Rockefeller Foundation and supported by a large number of regional, national and local partner organisations.

The Rockefeller Foundation donated over 400,000 USD to the project in order to help local families build new storm resistant homes or reinforce their existing weak ones. 

A newly-built storm resistant house in Man Thai Ward

The project was deployed successfully in 8 wards and communes across the city.  They are Man Thai and Tho Quang wards in Son Tra District, Hoa Hai and Hoa Quy wards in Ngu Hanh Son District, Hoa Hiep Nam and Hoa Hiep Bac wards in Lien Chieu District, and Hoa Nhon and Hoa Phu communes in Hoa Vang District.

Under the project, 320 families in the wards and communes accessed loans from the project worth over 7 billion VND in total at an interest rate of 0.65% pa.  The eligible borrowers are poor families, and those who are near the city’s poverty threshold, who live in vulnerable communities in coastal areas that are frequently affected by climate change.

The financial assistance from the Rockefeller Foundation has already ended.  However, the city’s Women’s Union will appeal for funding from local districts, along with donations from local individuals and organisations to give loans worth over 3.1 billion VND to another 105 families in the 8 wards and communes from now until 2017.  Currently, the Union is cooperating with the Central Viet Nam Architecture Consultancy Company to give technical assistance in the building of storm resistant houses.  In addition, heed will be paid to encouraging the local district authorities to expand the storm resistant housing model into the remaining communes and wards in the city in subsequent years.