In 2023, Nghe An suffered nearly 700 billion VND in damage due to natural disasters

Comrade Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue chaired the conference. Also attending were leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Provincial Border Guard Command, Provincial Military Command, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province; and representatives of departments, branches, sectors, Steering Committees for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue of districts, cities and towns.

Delegates attending the conference. Photo: Quang An

Natural disasters cause nearly 700 billion VND in damage

In Nghe An province, 2023 is a year of complex natural disasters. Although not directly affected by storms and tropical depressions, there have been extreme weather phenomena such as tornadoes, lightning, cold spells, cold air, hot weather, and heavy rain. Specifically, there were 22 cold spells (including 16 Northeast monsoons); 3 severe cold spells; 11 heat spells; 36 tornadoes, hail, lightning, and localized heavy rain in many communes and districts in the province; 1 widespread heavy rain in the province.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De inspected the flooding situation in Quy Chau district in 2023. Photo: Quang An

In 2023, in Nghe An province, there were 45 accidents and incidents at sea, killing 16 people, leaving 2 missing, injuring 7 people, sinking 6 fishing boats, burning 10 vehicles, and damaging 11 vehicles.

Natural disasters in 2023 have had a major impact on people's lives, socio-economy, and severely damaged people, agricultural and forestry production, and infrastructure. Specifically, 3 people died, 5 people were injured, 39 houses collapsed, with over 70% damage; 793 houses had their roofs blown off or damaged; 15 houses were urgently evacuated; caused a lot of damage to agricultural and forestry production and infrastructure works...; estimated economic damage is about 667 billion VND.

Comrade Phung Thanh Vinh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported on the natural disaster situation in the province in 2023. Photo: Quang An

Although natural disasters are complicated, the work of natural disaster prevention and control has been carried out seriously, drastically, synchronously by Nghe An province, well prepared in all three stages of prevention, response and overcoming consequences, thus limiting many losses in human lives and property. The propaganda work of the Provincial Radio - Television Station, Nghe An Newspaper, mass media of departments, branches, sectors and localities has had many changes, gradually creating a change in awareness and proactive prevention of natural disasters.

However, the work of preventing and combating natural disasters still has shortcomings and limitations such as: Leadership, direction and organization at all levels are sometimes confused and passive. The work of monitoring, supervising, forecasting and warning of natural disasters is still limited, especially forecasting and warning of localized heavy rains, flash floods and landslides. The force doing the work of preventing and combating natural disasters, responding to incidents and searching and rescuing is not professional, with limited experience and professional capacity...

Proactively respond to natural disasters in 2024

At the conference, representatives of units and localities presented papers on disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue.

Representatives of the North Central Hydrometeorological Station said that in 2024, the weather forecast will have many complicated developments, tropical depressions and storms are likely to appear from July, directly affecting Nghe An around September and October. In addition, heat waves will come earlier and be more severe from May to July. Departments, branches and localities need to proactively prepare response plans.

Representatives of the North Central Hydrometeorological Station said that the weather in 2024 in Nghe An will still be complicated. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Le Hai Ly - Vice Chairman of Quy Chau District People's Committee said: The flood at the end of September 2023 was a historic flood in the area. In just 5 hours, all communes along Hieu River were flooded, killing 1 person, thousands of houses were flooded and damaged, many works and crop areas were destroyed, causing damage of nearly 200 billion VND.

Mr. Le Hai Ly - Vice Chairman of Quy Chau District People's Committee said that the locality has not yet been able to completely overcome the damage caused by floods. Photo: Quang An

As soon as the flood receded, the district implemented a plan to overcome the damage with the motto of communes helping communes, villages helping villages, schools helping schools... However, up to now, the consequences of the flood have not been completely overcome.

Referring to this issue, Mr. Phung Thanh Vinh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that during the flood in Quy Chau district, when the forces of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue came to the district to support, they lacked means of transportation for rescue. This is one of the issues that need to be learned from not only in Quy Chau district but also in other localities in the following stormy seasons.

In Ky Son district, in 2023, there were hundreds of landslides, hailstorms and tornadoes occurred frequently, causing damage of about 150 billion VND. Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Chairman of Ky Son District People's Committee said that it is worth mentioning that the consequences of the historic flood in 2022 have not yet been completely overcome, there is currently a situation where even though there is no rain, there are still landslides at some points in the area.

Comrade Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acknowledged the efforts of all levels, sectors and localities in natural disaster prevention and control in 2023. Photo: Quang An

Concluding the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De acknowledged and highly appreciated the work of natural disaster prevention, control, search and rescue in the province in 2023. Due to the impact of global climate change, natural disasters are increasingly complex and unpredictable and can occur at any time in the area, posing great challenges for Nghe An province. Comrade Nguyen Van De emphasized that natural disaster prevention and control is an important task of the entire political system.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested sectors and localities to urgently carry out preparations for natural disaster prevention and control in 2024 early, such as: Summarizing and drawing experience from natural disaster prevention and control work in 2023, deploying key tasks in 2024, to be completed in April 2024.

Units and localities focus on investing in equipment, facilities, building databases, support tools, and improving the capacity of the Standing Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control, Search and Rescue at district and commune levels. Strengthen information and communication activities, provide guidance on prevention and response skills for common types of natural disasters (especially storms, floods, flash floods, landslides) in many forms, ensuring that information about natural disasters reaches people in affected areas.

At the same time, organize and direct the implementation of measures to respond to major natural disasters. Continue to mobilize and deploy resources to overcome the consequences of natural disasters in 2023. Strengthen training and drills for natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and strictly carry out inspection and preparation work at all levels according to the "4 on-site" motto to ensure completion before July 30, 2024.

Nghe An province awarded Certificates of Merit to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in natural disaster prevention and control in 2023. Photo: Quang An

On this occasion, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to 5 collectives and 5 individuals with outstanding achievements in disaster prevention, control and search and rescue in 2023.

List of 5 collectives and 5 individuals awarded Certificates of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for their outstanding achievements in directing and implementing natural disaster prevention, control and search and rescue in 2023:

Collective

1. Nghe An Bridge and Road Construction and Management Joint Stock Company, Nghe An Department of Transport.

2. Staff Department, Border Guard Command of Nghe An province.

3. Nghe An Provincial Red Cross Society.

4. General Staff Department, Nghe An Provincial Military Command.

5. Economic Department, Nghe An Newspaper.

Individual

6. Mr. Phan Dai Nghia - Commander of Nghe An Provincial Military Command.

7. Mr. Trinh Van Nha - Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee.

8. Mr. Lo Van Thao - Deputy Head of Ky Son District Police.

9. Mr. Tran Tuan Khanh - Disaster prevention and control specialist, Irrigation Sub-Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province.

10. Ms. Hoang Thu Trang - Expert of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, People's Committee of Que Phong district./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nam-2023-nghe-an-thiet-hai-gan-700-ty-dong-do-thien-tai-post286407.html