Central localities urged to proactively tackle natural disasters

Supporting flood victims (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked localities in the central coastal and Central Highlands regions to be more proactive in preventing natural disasters to minimize losses.

Dung, who also heads the National Committee for Search and Rescue, made the request at an online conference with 10 coastal provinces and cities in the central, and Central Highlands regions, in Hanoi on December 2.

He ordered central cities and provinces from Nghe An to Binh Thuan to promptly support families having casualties in floods and continuously search for the missing.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) was told to evaluate the impacts of the recent floods on hydropower reservoirs and irrigation systems, while the Ministry of Industry and Trade enhanced inspection and management of flood discharge from reservoirs.

The Deputy PM urged the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to develop the monitoring, forecasting and warning systems, and install equipment at hydro meteorological stations, especially in flood and landslide-prone areas.

In the long run, it is necessary to continue carrying out projects on community-based natural disaster management and forest protection, he said.

He asked the Ministry of Construction to work with the MoNRE and the Ministry of Transport to devise proper relocation plans for flood-prone areas.

He suggested building more rain gauge and rescue stations in the central region, particularly the north-central part, along with upgrading drainage and dyke systems, and preventing soil erosion and flashfloods in mountainous areas.

According to Tran Quang Hoai, Deputy Director General of the MARD’s Department of Water Resources, 65 people were dead and unaccounted for during the recent floods. Meanwhile, more than 22,000 hectares of rice were damaged. The total economic loss was estimated at over 7 trillion VND (308 million USD).

Ministries and localities promptly supported people by providing over 4,400 tonnes of rice as well as medicine to hardest-hit provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh.

They also proposed the Government support 305 billion VND (13.42 million USD) for 14 provinces hard hit by the recent floods./.

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