Entrepreneurs Learn to Adapt to Climate Change and Prevent Disaster Risks

“Before, our workers littered everywhere and did not save energy. Now, their behaviours towards environment protection have gradually changed,” says Nguyen Hai Phong, Hai Long Sewing Company’s director.

Hai Long Sewing Company is among 120 small and medium entreprises that have joined World Vision’s Hai Phong City Resilient to Climate Change & Disaster Risks (HRCD) project. Since 2015, Phong and his workers have learned how to protect environment and adjust themselves to climate change.

As a leader, Phong has participated in the training courses on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and fire fighting simulations, which were joinly facilitated by World Vision and local authorities. He has then disseminated all he learned to the workers. As a result, Hai Long Company’s disaster response team has recently been set up.

Many positive environmental changes have been seen at the company. Now, the whole building is surrounded by green trees. Phong also has the 60-70 cm wide drainage ditches made, exactly following what he learned. To protect the company’s goods during the flood season, he has installed high level racks and automatic circuit breakers, and created emergency exits inside the sewing factory.

“In the rainy season, I had my workers lift all the goods onto the high racks and dredge the ditches one to two days before a storm came”, says Phong.

During the past two years, World Vision and local authorities have approached thousands of workers and hundreds of entrepreuneurs from 320 entreprises in Hai Phong city, raising their awareness of environment protection and their ability to proactively respond to natural disasters.

Vietnamese text by Nguyen Chi Hung, Operations

English version by Tran My Hang