Vietnam is one of the most natural disaster–prone countries in Southeast Asia, with densely populated areas vulnerable to flooding from typhoons and other weather events. In order to lessen the impact of disasters, it is crucial to have a comprehensive plan for disaster preparedness and response to future events. This report summarizes the workshop on Collaborative Disaster Preparedness that was conducted in August 2015 in Da Nang, Vietnam, and hosted by the Collaborative & Adaptive Security Initiative (CASI), based within the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post Graduate School. CASI partnered with key members of the Disaster Management Working Group for Vietnam to include the Oregon National Guard, the Office of Defense Cooperation from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, and the Center for Excellence to host an educational program on collaborative disaster preparedness. This event also was synchronized with the U.S. Navy's Pacific Partnership and the U.S. Naval Ship Mercy's visit to Da Nang, Vietnam. The purpose of the workshop was for participants from over 20 governmental, intergovernmental, nongovernmental, and military organizations to discuss valuable lessons to be learned from past emergency response and disaster risk management. The workshop identified several collaboration, preparedness, and response mechanisms, and enhanced participants' understanding of national and international actors' roles in collaborative disaster responses and recovery.
