The present paper would focus on lessons that have been learnt through field trips carried out in southern Vietnam and numerical analysis that will show how the lack of knowledge to understand either future environmental impacts or strong regulations are leading to increased risk in many coastal areas. The authors attempted to analyse the potential disaster risks associated with six natural hazards: tropical cyclones, storm surges, tsunamis, coastal erosion, topographical hazard and sealevel rise, and discussed the vulnerability of local communities to these threats in the context of rapid economic development. The authors pointed out that infrastructure investments made by tourist or other industries may exacerbate the potential disaster risks on adjacent areas, and the potential risks due to coastal disasters can become larger among the poorest members of the community, who often live in higher risk areas as their adaptive capacity and resilience it typically lower than richer members of the society.