The PM said the work requires the effectiveuse of resources of the State, organisations and individuals, and puts peopleon the centre of the effort.
He lauded the establishment of the GeneralDepartment of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control as a right decision asthe unit works efficiently in consulting the Government, the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and other relevant agencies to steerresponses to natural disasters.
Scientific and technological advances andtraditional experience should be utilised at the same time in the effort, theleader said, asking agencies and localities to make natural disaster response aspart of their socio-economic development plans.
Apart from increasing resources for thecombat, localities need to step up international cooperation, while payingattention to the communications work and personnel training in this field, PMPhuc said.
He highlighted the participation ofbusinesses in this realm and underlined the need for Vietnam to materialise itsinternational commitments to natural disaster response.
Another task is to improve institutionaltools and policies on natural disasters, the leader said, urging theGovernment’s Office to acquire proposals of ministries, agencies and localitiesand submit to the Government and the PM in order to serve the issuance of aresolution on natural disaster prevention and control in the coming time.
Vietnam is one of the five countries hardesthit by natural disasters. Over the past two decades, natural disasters left over400 people dead and missing each year, caused economic losses of about 1-1.5percent of GDP, and affected people’s living environment and conditions, aswell as socio-economic activities and sustainable development of the country.
In 2017, a record number of 16 typhoons andfour low pressures occurred in the East Sea. Natural disasters cost the livesof 386 people in the year, damaged more than 600,000 houses and caused economiclosses of about 60 trillion VND (2.64 billion USD), with the worst being typhoons Doksuri and Damrey.-VN