[PART I. Introduction]

Abstract

Undoubtedly, Ho Chi Minh City is not just the biggest city in Vietnam, but also its economic centre. With its regional location as hub in Southeast Asia, its airport, harbour and the intersection of main roads, the metropolis is well connected within the domestic as well as the most important international markets. Located downstream of the Saigon-Dong Nai River with a relatively flat terrain, the city traditionally has a strong relationship to water. It is located at the northeastern fringe of the Mekong Delta and its southern part is connected to the east sea. Major parts of the city are situated on low-lying marshy lands that are crossed by a complex network of canals and rivers. These topographic and geographic conditions make the city extremely sensitive to various flood sources. The city’s core area covers about 2095 km and inhabits 7.7 million people, which means a population density of about 3666 person per km (Labaeye et al. 2012). In fact, the city has already developed into Vietnam’s first mega city with the benchmark of ten million inhabitants according to UN-definition. This is not only due to its migrants population but because the urban spatial growth of the city has already transgressed its administrative borders. The greater agglomeration