More than 1,100 households in the northwestern mountainous provinceof Lai Chau are residing in areas that are prone to naturalcalamities, such as Tan Uyen, Tam Duong and Sin Ho districts.
Since 2000, over 450 disasters occurred in the seven local districts,claiming the lives of 26 people, leaving 15 injured and destroying 350houses. The total economic damage was estimated at over 130 billion VND(61 million USD).
Local authorities have directed theSteering Committees of Storm and Flood Prevention of all districts towarn locals of the risk of disasters, while using capital sources fromnational target programmes to cope with the issue.
Despite anannual average economic growth of 13 percent over the past decade, LaiChau remains one of the most impoverished provinces in Vietnam,ranking eighth out of the 15 regional provinces in new-style rural areaperformance.
Its rate of poor households stood at 27.22 percent last year.
According to the World Bank, Vietnam is ranked as the seventhmost exposed country in the world to multiple natural hazards includingfloods, tropical cyclones, tornados, landslides and droughts. About 60percent of the total area of the country and 71 percent of thepopulation are exposed to cyclones and floods.
In 2013,Vietnam was hit by no less than 15 tropical cyclones. Therefore, theGovernment has been taking disaster response preparation veryseriously.-VNA
Since 2000, over 450 disasters occurred in the seven local districts,claiming the lives of 26 people, leaving 15 injured and destroying 350houses. The total economic damage was estimated at over 130 billion VND(61 million USD).
Local authorities have directed theSteering Committees of Storm and Flood Prevention of all districts towarn locals of the risk of disasters, while using capital sources fromnational target programmes to cope with the issue.
Despite anannual average economic growth of 13 percent over the past decade, LaiChau remains one of the most impoverished provinces in Vietnam,ranking eighth out of the 15 regional provinces in new-style rural areaperformance.
Its rate of poor households stood at 27.22 percent last year.
According to the World Bank, Vietnam is ranked as the seventhmost exposed country in the world to multiple natural hazards includingfloods, tropical cyclones, tornados, landslides and droughts. About 60percent of the total area of the country and 71 percent of thepopulation are exposed to cyclones and floods.
In 2013,Vietnam was hit by no less than 15 tropical cyclones. Therefore, theGovernment has been taking disaster response preparation veryseriously.-VNA
