Focus resources on upgrading infrastructure to ensure disaster prevention and control

The ceremony to respond to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management was solemnly held on the morning of October 13, 2021 in Hanoi. Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh - Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control chaired the ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by United Nations organizations; the United States Agency for International Development - USAID; the Japan International Cooperation Agency - JICA; the Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam...

On Nghe An side, comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee attended and chaired, along with representatives of relevant departments, branches and sectors.

In 2020,natural disastersClimate change in the region and the world continues to be complex and abnormal with a total of nearly 500 large, widespread natural disasters on a national and regional scale; the number of storms in the Atlantic region this year exceeded a record high of 30 storms (13 reaching hurricane status), of which the most serious was super storm Eta which made landfall in Central America in early November; heavy rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides occurred in many countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia...

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired at Nghe An bridgehead. Photo: Tien Dong

In the country, natural disasters occurred frequently and were especially fierce, exceeding historical levels in all regions. The country experienced 16 out of 21 types of natural disasters, including 14 storms and 1 tropical depression; 265 thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning; 120 flash floods and landslides; 90 earthquakes; severe drought, saltwater intrusion, riverbank and coastal erosion, and sea dike subsidence in the Mekong Delta...

In particular, within just 45 days from mid-September to the end of October 2020, historic heavy rains and floods occurred in 7 coastal provinces in the Central region from Nghe An to Quang Ngai with total rainfall ranging from 1,000 - 2,500mm.

Due to the exceptionally heavy rain that lasted for a long time combined with the hilly and steep terrain, landslides and flash floods occurred in many places. The most serious was at the construction site.Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant, Forest Ranger Station No. 67, Phong Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province; Economic - Defense Group 337, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province; Tra Leng and Tra Van Communes, Nam Tra My District and Phuoc Loc Commune, Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province have taken the lives of many people, officers and soldiers and seriously destroyed many infrastructure facilities.

Officers and soldiers participated in the search and rescue of victims of the landslide at Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant (Thua Thien Hue). Photo: BNA Document

In Nghe An, 2020 was a year of very complicated natural disasters, with 11 heat waves and droughts; 30 thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, and hail. The 2020 storm season saw 3 major natural disasters due to the impact of storm No. 5 (from September 17-19); heavy rain and flooding from October 15 to 20 and the circulation of storm No. 9 from October 28-31. Natural disasters also killed 17 people; injured 13 people; collapsed 54 houses; damaged or unroofed 3,314 houses; 1,506 houses affected by landslides; flooded 19,865 houses; the number of households displaced due to flooding and landslides was 8,326 households/62,444 people. Caused great damage to agricultural and forestry production and infrastructure, with total damage of about 1,327,019 billion VND.

In Nghe An in 2020, natural disasters caused great damage to people and property, with an estimated total damage of about 1,327,019 billion VND. Photo: BNA Document

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh - Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control emphasized that, during the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic,rainy seasonhas arrived, so it is required that agencies, units and localities focus resources to upgrade facilities and infrastructure to ensure response to complex developments of natural disasters.

Localities that regularly suffer from natural disasters need to prepare adequate human and material resources to be ready to respond, in order to mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters. On behalf of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh also pledged to fully implement the signed treaties on natural disaster prevention and control, and to fully support international organizations in assisting and providing relief to Vietnam when natural disasters occur.

The ceremony was broadcast live from Hanoi. Photo: Tien Dong

At this ceremony, the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control was also honored to receive the Third Class Independence Medal awarded by the President. The President also awarded the First Class Labor Medal to Dr. Tran Quang Hoai - Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

In addition, the Prime Minister also awarded Certificates of Merit to 14 collectives and individuals with achievements in preventing, combating and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.