Heat early warning system in Vietnam: Current status and recommendations

This case study examines the current state of the heat early warning system in Vietnam, including how heat risk is understood and monitored, and how warnings are issued, communicated and acted upon across institutions. It forms part of a series of case studies across eight countries that applies a common analytical framework to assess heat early warning systems across key pillars and identify good practices, gaps and enabling conditions for people-centred, impact-based early warning for extreme heat. The study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted between October 2025 and January 2026 and a targeted review of peer-reviewed literature and grey documentation.

The study finds that heat risk knowledge is expanding through research and pilot programmes but remains fragmented and weakly institutionalized. Vietnam has a structured national temperature-based heat monitoring and forecasting system, but warnings remain general in scope, communication is insufficiently targeted, and preparedness and response measures remain weak, uneven and only partially institutionalized. The authors recommend strengthening the relevance and usability of heat warning products, institutionalizing heat within disaster risk management, strengthening multi-hazard planning, improving vulnerability profiling, and strengthening last-mile communication and dissemination.