Prime Minister directs response to risks of strong storms, floods, landslides

The Prime Minister's dispatch stated that since the beginning of 2024, natural disasters have continued to develop abnormally and unpredictably. After severe heat waves, droughts, and prolonged saltwater intrusion at the beginning of the year, recent heavy rains, landslides, and localized flooding have occurred in many places, especially in the Northern, North Central, and Central Highlands regions.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, from the beginning of 2024 to now, natural disasters have caused 104 deaths and missing people (most of the deaths and missing people were due to landslides or floods), with material damage estimated at about 2,000 billion VND.

According to the warning of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the La Nina phenomenon will affect our country from August 2024, the risk of strong storms, heavy rains, floods, flash floods, landslides, and unsafe dams is very high, seriously threatening production, daily life, life and property of people.

Since the beginning of 2024, natural disasters have left 104 people dead and missing .

The Prime Minister requested Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, according to their assigned functions and tasks, to continue to proactively focus on directing, closely monitoring developments of natural disasters, proactively directing, and implementing drastic, timely, and effective measures to respond to and overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

Specifically, the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities should be more proactive in focusing on leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of natural disaster prevention, control, and overcoming consequences in the area according to the "four on-site" motto with the most proactive, timely, and drastic spirit to ensure the safety of lives and minimize damage to property of the people and the state.

Urgently review and complete response plans for each type of natural disaster that may occur in the area, especially response plans for storms, floods, landslides, and flash floods; identify key vulnerable areas to proactively develop scenarios for deploying forces and means to be ready to respond and rescue when situations arise.

Flash floods and landslides are phenomena that cause damage to many localities.

Direct the implementation of plans for natural disaster prevention and control during the rainy and stormy season; organize supervision, inspection and supervision of preparations for natural disaster prevention and control, and search and rescue before the rainy and flood season and before storms and floods occur according to regulations.

Organize to review and identify dangerous areas, especially steep slopes at risk of landslides, flash floods, and deeply flooded areas along rivers and streams to proactively organize the evacuation of people and property from dangerous areas. For places where there are no conditions for immediate evacuation, there must be a proactive evacuation plan in case of natural disasters to ensure the safety of people's lives...

Improve the quality of forecasting and warning of natural disasters, landslides, subsidence... to ensure reliability.

In the above dispatch, the head of the Government requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to focus on directing the hydrometeorological forecasting agency to promptly assess and draw lessons from the work of monitoring, forecasting and warning of natural disasters in the recent past, continue to focus on improving the quality of forecasting and warning of natural disasters, landslides, subsidence, etc. to ensure reliability; closely monitor developments, forecast and promptly inform about natural disasters and extreme weather phenomena to authorities, localities and people to be proactive in directing and implementing natural disaster response work.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development organizes a 24/7 duty to closely monitor the situation and developments of natural disasters, advises the Prime Minister to direct and proactively urge relevant ministries and branches, especially localities, to promptly deploy disaster prevention, control and overcoming consequences according to the authority and tasks assigned in Resolution No. 102/NQ-CP.

The Minister of Industry and Trade coordinates with localities to direct the work of ensuring safety for industrial production, power systems, and hydroelectric reservoirs; promptly overcome incidents, ensuring power supply for production and people's daily life.

The Minister of Transport directed relevant agencies and units to continue to coordinate with relevant forces and localities to proactively deploy traffic safety assurance work (including at sea, on rivers, on roads, railways, and airways) in case of natural disasters, and to promptly support localities in overcoming landslides and traffic disruptions, especially on national highways and main traffic routes.

The Minister of National Defense proactively directs the Military Regions and forces stationed in the area to review, develop plans, and proactively mobilize forces and means to coordinate with localities and relevant forces to deploy disaster response, search and rescue, and quickly overcome the consequences of natural disasters according to regulations.

The Minister of Public Security directed local police to develop plans and proactively support localities and people in preventing, combating, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, and in searching and rescuing victims when situations arise...

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