Localities proactively and flexibly respond

Since the beginning of 2023, natural disasters have left 7 people missing and caused economic losses of nearly 25 billion VND. In the context of increasingly complex climate change, natural disaster prevention following the motto "From response to early action", strengthening communication, improving community capacity and preparing response plans for natural disasters are very important and urgent tasks. This motto is also the theme of the National Week for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in 2023 (from May 15 to 22).

Local authorities proactively prevent…

Although in recent years, different types of natural disasters have occurred, causing serious consequences for people and property, the efforts of the entire political system have contributed to helping people respond effectively and reduce natural disaster damage.

Considered one of the strongest storms in the past 20 years, storm No. 4 (storm NORU) occurred in September 2022, moving quickly, making landfall at night. To serve the direction, operation and response to this storm, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting issued 33 official bulletins and 44 additional flash bulletins. The entire political system, forces and people have joined in synchronously, thus minimizing the damage caused by the storm.

Nghe An is a locality that is regularly affected by many types of natural disasters typical of the Central Coast region such as storms, tropical depressions, flash floods, inundation, landslides, heat waves, droughts, cold spells, hail, tornadoes, and lightning.

In 2022 alone, Nghe An experienced many extreme weather events, causing significant damage to agricultural and forestry production and infrastructure, killing 12 people, injuring 1 person, collapsing 100 houses, damaging 990 houses, and forcing 322 households to evacuate urgently. In particular, flash floods in Ky Son district caused extremely serious consequences... Estimated economic damage was about 1,265 billion VND.

Sharing about the work of preventing, responding to and overcoming the consequences of floods, inundation, flash floods and landslides in Nghe An province, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung said that right before the rainy and stormy season, the Provincial People's Committee directed localities to proactively review and develop plans and scenarios for natural disaster response suitable to the specific situation in the locality according to the "four on-site" motto, paying special attention to the work of evacuating people in areas at high risk of landslides. The work of overcoming the consequences and rebuilding after natural disasters is carried out in 3 steps: Safety of people and property; stabilization of life; long-term development.

Immediately after the natural disasters, Nghe An province established working groups to direct the overcoming of consequences; mobilized maximum local forces to treat the injured, search for missing people, visit families affected by the damage, support people to repair houses, overcome traffic problems and the province's viewpoint is to absolutely not let people go hungry, cold, or homeless.

Similarly, as a mountainous province, Hoa Binh is subject to many extreme weather events that tend to increase in frequency and intensity, causing much damage to agricultural production and infrastructure.

According to Mr. Quach Tat Liem, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoa Binh province, from this characteristic, the province has focused on promoting propaganda on hydrometeorology, natural disaster prevention, contributing to raising awareness, consciousness, and proactiveness in responding to and preventing natural disasters of the people. The province clearly identified that adaptation and mitigation of damage caused by climate change have become strategic tasks in the process of socio-economic construction and development.

… to be ready to respond flexibly

In order to proactively respond to natural disasters, localities have focused on integrating natural disaster prevention and control into socio-economic development plans. As a mountainous province, Bac Kan focuses on implementing "agro-forestry" measures to prevent erosion, improve soil, increase crop productivity, and promote land use efficiency; approve and continue to implement programs and plans to ensure the safety of dams and reservoirs; review landslide sites, landslide and flash flood risks to create maps to divide flash flood and landslide risk zones.

In the Red River Delta region, Nam Dinh province has strengthened inspections of the dyke and embankment system, promptly detected and resolutely handled violations of dykes. Armed forces units such as the Army, Border Guard, and Police have proactively developed plans and scenarios to respond to each specific natural disaster situation, especially plans for search and rescue, evacuation, ensuring security and order, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.

In the Central region, Da Nang city focuses on implementing phase 2 of the investment project to upgrade Tho Quang boat lock, including expanding the anchorage capacity and storm shelters, while also developing early plans to prevent landslides, especially in rural areas and mountainous areas, proactively taking timely and appropriate measures to prevent urban flooding.

The above solutions have been highly appreciated by the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. At the rally to respond to the National Week for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in 2023 recently held in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep - Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control acknowledged the continuous efforts of the Provincial Steering Committees for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue in leading, directing, mobilizing the participation of the entire political system and the active participation of the people, synchronously implementing natural disaster prevention and control activities in all 3 stages of prevention, response and overcoming consequences, effectively promoting the "4 on-site" motto in natural disaster prevention and control.

Previously, at the National Online Conference on Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue in 2023 held at the end of April, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang also acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of ministries, branches, localities and the support of international organizations in disaster prevention and search and rescue in recent times.

Faced with the complex and unpredictable developments of natural disasters forecasted in 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and localities to be more proactive in natural disaster prevention; focus on implementing more drastic disaster response solutions, prioritizing the task of protecting people's lives and property, and minimizing damage caused by natural disasters.

For localities, in addition to allocating resources for disaster prevention, control and search and rescue, the socio-economic development plan needs to pay attention to disaster response factors and provide better care and investment after a disaster occurs.

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