Hanoi (VNA) - Storm Koto, the 15th to form in the East Sea this year, has taken shape with an unpredictable trajectory, requiring close monitoring, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stressed while chairing an online meeting with leaders of provinces and cities regarding emergency response efforts to the 15th storm.
Recognising the high risk of natural disasters, Ha, also Permanent Deputy Head of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee, urged ministries, sectors, and localities to stay alert and prepared with responsibility and seriousness.
Local authorities should quickly update information, provide accurate forecasts, enforce all relevant regulations for managing fishing vessels, and ban operations in hazardous areas.
In areas prone to landslides, the Deputy PM called for active emergency response plans for level-4 natural disaster risks, especially in mountainous regions. He also emphasised the continued deployment of forces to ensure the safety of people and a reassessment of flood, flash flood, landslide, and geological hazard maps for 34 provinces and cities.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, scientific agencies, and meteorological and hydrological forecasting units were tasked with reviewing, adjusting, and finalising flood maps, ensuring that information is updated at the commune and ward levels so local authorities and citizens can take proactive measures.
Ha also called for an assessment of the causes of the recent flash floods and landslides, distinguishing between natural factors and human-induced factors, so that lessons can be learned to protect people's lives.
Regarding the operation of hydropower reservoirs, he required a review of the responsibilities of reservoir owners and the inter-reservoir coordination procedures, ensuring timely information flow to downstream areas and implementing measures for control and regulation.
The Deputy PM emphasised that this is a critical and challenging time, requiring all units to cooperate closely and ensure effective disaster prevention and response efforts.
In further evaluation of the 15th storm, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that the ministry is closely coordinating with relevant agencies to update and provide information. The forecast bulletin on November 28 is expected to provide the most accurate guidance for response efforts./.
VNA
