The outcomes of a project on evaluating natural disasters’ risks and building a business continuity plan (BCP) for concentrated industrial parks (IPs) in ASEAN countries were the highlight of a workshop held in Hanoi on Dec. 13.

Dau Anh Tuan, acting head of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (VCCI) Legal Department noted that around 60 percent of surveyed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in central provinces of Nghe An, Da Nang and Khanh Hoa said they had suffered from damages due to natural disasters. Among them, 30 percent said they were seriously affected and 5 percent reported very serious losses.

He attributed this to the fact that most businesses did not make any preparations to cope with natural disasters, without any emergency response plans.

Yoshiyuki Tsuji, a representative from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said the BCP project benefits not only businesses and IPs but also other sectors, adding that the quick recovery of industrial production thanks to the project can help local residents resume normal life faster after disasters and maintain budget revenues through tax and fees.

The project will collect and analyse information on natural disasters risks, concentrated industrial clusters, infrastructure of distribution systems and essential utility providers in 10 ASEAN nations to share among regional countries, the JICA official said.-VNA