Water urbanism and “living with flooding”: a case study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

ABSTRACT Water in deltaic settlements is generally treated as a hazard or threat to vulnerable communities. This study aims to explore the social and spatial practices of three communities in Cai Rang, in Can Tho City, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The aim is to discuss how “living with flooding” can inform a water urbanism perspective that might be useful to planners and designers in other deltaic environments. A mixed method approach is used to uncover how households, clusters of households and communities cope with flooding twice a day during the wet season. Findings show that local residents occupy housing types and clusters that suggest a high degree of resilience to changing water levels, especially flooding. This work has implications for architecture, landscape architecture and urban design as it demonstrates how a low income waterfront community can work together to maintain water-related activities while accommodating changes in river and tidal flows.