Proactive measures to prevent and control flash floods and landslides.

(Baonghean) - Flash floods and landslides always occur unexpectedly in mountainous districts and often cause serious damage to property and lives of people. Therefore, relevant levels and sectors need to have proactive solutions for prevention and control, especially the meteorological and hydrological sector needs to do a good job of forecasting flash floods and landslides in a timely and accurate manner to minimize damage.

Residents are removing rocks to prevent landslides in Hoa Binh town, Tuong Duong district.

Risk of flash floods, landslides…

Even with only the first rains of the season, the Nam Chot stream, flowing through the villages of Chot and Pieng Lom in Tri Le commune (Que Phong district), is rushing with water. The risk of flash floods is very high, yet the local people seem to remain complacent. Many households have built or expanded their houses right next to the streams. In Pieng Lom 2 village, this year, the family of Mr. Lo Van Thuan built their house right next to the stream. Mr. Thuan shared: “Because flat land is scarce, we still have to take the risk to build a house, using the space to repair motorbikes to earn a living. We will only move when the flood comes.” Many other households along the stream, such as the families of Mr. Vi Van Quang, Mr. Ha Van Cuong, and Mr. Ha Van Xuyen, are also nearby.

Mr. Lo Xuan Thu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tri Le commune, said: "Tri Le commune has a large area with 33 villages and hamlets, with over 1,700 households, of which about 400 households live along streams and are subject to relocation when the flood season arrives. The risk of flash floods and landslides in Tri Le is very high. The area is rugged, with many high mountain ranges, steep cliffs, and dense streams. Many residential areas are mainly located around the Ta Pan stream, Nam Chot stream, Cha Lam stream, Huoi Xai stream… Heavy rain lasting continuously for 4-5 hours will pose a risk of landslides, flash floods, and mudslides."

In addition, Cam Muon commune has many villages located along large streams and rivers such as Khe Que and Quang River. Approximately 100 households are in areas at risk of flash floods, especially in Don Phat village, where over 70 households are situated in completely low-lying areas, easily flooded even by moderate rainfall. Therefore, the government has encouraged these households to relocate, but only over 10 have moved, while the rest remain, citing their familiarity with living near streams and rivers, and the prospect of a more difficult life elsewhere. Que Phong district is known for its steep terrain, dense network of rivers and streams, and steep riverbed slopes of 3-5% (locally 10%), making flash flood risks a constant concern. It is estimated that Que Phong district has over 20 areas prone to flash floods, concentrated in the communes of Quang Phong, Cam Muon, Tri Le, Thong Thu, Nam Giai, etc.

In the villages of Ta Đo, Xốp Tít, Vang Phao, Na My, Huồi Khí, Phà Nọi, Chà Lạt… in Mường Típ commune, Kỳ Sơn district, most of the villages are located along the Nậm Mộ river. Mr. Lương Xuân Liễu, head of Ta Đo village, said: "The village has over 100 households, but about 30 of them are located along the Nậm Mộ river. During the rainy season, floodwaters from Laos make the Nậm Mộ river very fierce. In the 2013 flood, two people were swept away, but luckily they survived. Over 200 households in Mường Típ commune are under a flash flood warning and urgently need to be relocated to a safe place."

In Muong Xen town (Ky Son district), many households are building houses right on the edge of the Nam Mo River despite the danger. The remnants of the historic flash flood of 2011 are still visible; many sections of the river have eroded, sweeping away house foundations into the river, and the riverbed is uneven with large piles of pebbles. We saw many new houses springing up, and the Phanh Dan Hotel even has its pillars erected almost in the middle of the Nam Mo River, forming a three-story building. Currently, Ky Son district has nearly 400 households affected by flash floods and landslides in the communes of Huu Kiem, Chieu Luu, Keng Du, Bac Ly, My Ly, Na Loi, and Dooc May.

According to statistics, there are currently 240 flood and flash flood risk warning points in 25 communes of 6 districts in our province: Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Quy Chau, Que Phong, and Quy Hop, affecting 2,124 households (12,387 people). Mr. Tran Van Quy, Head of the Provincial Rural Development Sub-Department, stated: “To date, the province has 22 resettlement projects for disaster-prone areas, including more than 10 projects primarily relocating people living along streams and ravines, with a total value of 755 billion VND. However, only 176 billion VND has been disbursed, leaving many projects stalled due to lack of funding. Currently, only 4 projects have been completed and put into use in Nhon Mai and Mai Son communes (Tuong Duong district), and 2 projects in Nam Giai commune… If these projects are completed, they will relocate 1,776 households, but since 2012, only about 300 households have been relocated.”

Proactive prevention and control

In Que Phong district, approximately 300 households are located in areas at risk of flash floods and landslides, but to date, only over 150 households have been relocated to the emergency resettlement area for flash flood victims. Que Phong district based its flood prevention and control plan on the historical flash flood of 2007; it also issued warnings about areas at risk of flash floods so that localities and people could proactively prepare for prevention. The district established teams that regularly visited the area to inspect reservoir projects and review the flood and landslide prevention and control plans of the communes. A summary table of the number of people evacuated for flood and storm prevention was compiled, and village-level emergency response teams were established. However, the propaganda and mobilization efforts have not been sufficiently vigorous; besides the households in the areas designated for relocation under the project, the district has yet to persuade any households in dangerous areas to relocate to safer locations.

In Ky Son district, the local flood control and prevention committees have been reorganized, and flood prevention plans have been implemented to minimize damage to people and property. Mr. Bui Tram, Chairman of the Ky Son District People's Committee, said: “In 2011, the floodwaters from upstream were very large, and due to untimely information gathering, Ky Son suffered heavy losses. Learning from that lesson, Ky Son district has coordinated with neighboring Laos (Noong Het - Muong Ngoc) to obtain information on the amount of water flowing from upstream Laos, thereby implementing timely and effective flood prevention measures. At the same time, we have intensified propaganda efforts to raise people's awareness of flood and landslide prevention. Currently, we have persuaded 13 households in Muong Xen town living along the Nam Mo river to relocate to safe areas. The entire district has relocated nearly 30 households, mainly concentrated in the communes of Ta Ca, My Ly, Muong Ai, etc.”

To proactively prevent the risk of flash floods, the Provincial People's Committee has planned to implement a comprehensive set of solutions. Specifically, for areas at risk of flash floods, approximately 2,575 out of 15,000 households are identified as needing evacuation in the event of an incident. Rescue and relief teams have been established at the commune and village levels, personnel are assigned to monitor the situation, and rapid response forces are being prepared for evacuation. The transportation, construction, telecommunications, police, and military sectors have been directed to prepare flood and storm prevention plans; ensuring uninterrupted transportation and communication, and deploying mobile rescue forces when necessary. Medical supplies, funding, and essential goods are being prepared to support the people in the event of a natural disaster.

The current challenge is that in 10 mountainous districts, 35 communes use poor-quality satellite telephones, making communication impossible during the rainy season and floods. Ten of these communes have no telephones at all (9 in Ky Son district and 1 in Tuong Duong district). Furthermore, flood and flash flood prevention efforts in the province still face limitations. The "four on-the-spot" principle, while implemented in some communes, is not uniform, and some communes have not provided decisive leadership. The rescue task force in communes, villages, and hamlets is also weak. A pressing need is to develop a plan to supplement and integrate funding sources to urgently build and complete resettlement projects, so that people in flood-prone areas can be moved to safe locations as soon as possible.

Van Truong