Strengthening disaster prevention and control

Search and rescue training on the river in Dong Luong ward, Dong Ha city - Photo: ML

Implementing the central government's directives and guidelines, especially Decree No. 66/2021/ND-CP dated July 6, 2021 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the Law on Dikes, the Provincial People's Committee directs and implements drastically and synchronously from the provincial level to localities, especially in remote areas and areas frequently affected by natural disasters. Coordinate the organization and send officials to participate in conferences and seminars on natural disaster prevention and control.

Implement a safe school program, integrate knowledge about natural disaster prevention and control into extracurricular activities at school... Regularly update warning bulletins, forecasts of natural disasters, weather developments on mass media; expand information provision to the community through the use of websites and social networks Facebook, Zalo.

In particular, connecting to automatically update rainfall data of 35 rain gauge stations across the province, updating warning bulletins, forecasts, and disaster prevention and control directives on the software of the Provincial Intelligent Operation Center (IOC) facilitates the community in need of exploitation, contributing to improving people's initiative in preventing and responding to natural disasters. With various sources of capital, the province has focused on step-by-step investment, basically ensuring the facilities for the offices of the command committees for disaster prevention, control and search and rescue (PCTT & TKCN) from the provincial to district and commune levels.

Based on support sources from the central government and using local budgets and other support sources, the province has implemented activities to overcome consequences and restore and reconstruct after natural disasters with a total implementation cost from 2021 to present of more than 423.08 billion VND.

Activities to support overcoming the consequences of natural disasters mainly include: Building community houses to prevent natural disasters; building houses for ethnic minority households in difficult circumstances who are often affected by natural disasters in mountainous and border areas; providing emergency relief and timely support in terms of facilities for people and communities in areas severely damaged by natural disasters, especially for ethnic minorities in some remote, isolated and extremely disadvantaged communes.

Restoring agricultural production after natural disasters; repairing civil works; supporting cases affected by natural disasters... To proactively prevent and respond to natural disasters, supplies and means of service are ensured with 19,334 life jackets, 16,458 life buoys, 238 life rafts, 595 life tents, 31 ambulances, 766 rescue boats, canoes of all kinds, 12 fire trucks...

Reserve and prepare essential supplies for use when necessary such as: food, fuel, drinking water, disinfectants... In addition, when an incident occurs, the Provincial People's Committee mobilizes additional essential vehicles such as trucks, ambulances, excavators, diggers... from localities, units and businesses in the area to be ready to participate in rescue work.

The system of natural disaster warning stations and natural disaster monitoring cameras is increasingly invested in fundamentally and relatively synchronously to ensure improved quality in information, warning and forecasting. The software system and database serving natural disaster prevention and control work have gradually taken shape, such as: historical flood data in 2020; current status map of hydrometeorological monitoring stations, flood warning in the province; software to automatically update rainfall and water levels; forming 3D maps of natural disaster zoning; data maps of lakes, dams, dikes, embankments, etc.; online applications on mobile devices (apps) and websites serving the work of directing, operating, informing, disseminating and propagating natural disaster prevention and control.

With the support of the Government, central ministries, branches, domestic and foreign organizations, Quang Tri has focused resources on implementing many projects and tasks of natural disaster prevention and control in the area. Thereby, gradually improving capacity, proactively preventing, responding to and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.

During the period of 2020 - 2024, the province has received and coordinated with international organizations such as UNDP, Plan, FAO, ECHO, CRS, ... to deploy activities and tasks on prevention, response and overcoming consequences after natural disasters in the province such as: training and education programs; supporting food, necessities, cash distribution to people regularly affected by storms and floods; providing rescue equipment; supporting the construction and repair of houses, essential infrastructure works and developing programs to improve capacity for natural disaster prevention and control.

Support activities of international organizations have achieved many positive results, contributing to supporting the government and people in responding to and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters. Up to now, communes, wards and towns in the province have established and strengthened grassroots disaster prevention and control teams with a number of 50 - 70 people/commune, including 125 teams/7,254 people, with the militia and self-defense forces as the core, along with the participation of village police, youth forces, Red Cross members and some people with experience in disaster prevention and control, rescue and relief.

To be more proactive in natural disaster prevention and control to minimize damage caused by natural disasters, the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control continues to advise the Provincial People's Committee to direct and manage the work of prevention, response, recovery and reconstruction after natural disasters. Direct the development of natural disaster prevention and control plans at all levels, agencies, units and natural disaster response plans according to the level of natural disaster risk appropriate to each region and area.

Implement the main goal of prevention, timely response, and quick and effective remediation of consequences with the motto "4 on-site". Review plans for relocation and evacuation of people, especially focusing on areas at high risk of landslides, deep flooding, flash floods, and flash floods. Strengthen propaganda work, raise awareness and responsibility for PCTT&TKCN for people, especially people in remote areas, areas frequently affected by natural disasters. Strengthen training and drills on PCTT&TKCN...

Minh Long

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tang-cuong-cong-tac-phong-chong-thien-tai-192921.htm