Long-drawn urban planning issues blamed for Hanoi flooding

A section of Hanoi's Nguyen Trai Street is flooded after heavy downpours, May 29, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Insufficient water drainage capacity, disappearing lakes and poor urban planning are the chief reasons for flooding in Hanoi during heavy downpours.

On Sunday and Monday over 80 spots were inundated following incessant rains, paralyzing traffic all over the city. As the rising water invaded homes and turned lives upside down, authorities and policymakers scratched their heads trying to figure out why Hanoi is so vulnerable to flooding when it rains.

Historic rain levels

Over two hours in the afternoon last Sunday, weather stations on Lang Street in Dong Da District recorded 138 mm of rain, or 6 mm higher than the previous record of 132.5 mm in 1986, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

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