Hanoi (VNA) – In response to increasingly severe natural disasters since the year's beginning, and following the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 98, the Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to prepare for a national conference on disaster response and recovery.
So said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien at the Government’s regular press conference for October held on November 8.
Answering a Vietnam News Agency reporter’s question about the implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 98-TB/TW on reviewing and evaluating disaster forecasting, prevention and control, Tien said that since the start of this year, disasters have struck frequently and severely across a wide area, with many unprecedented and record-breaking phenomena.
He noted that three strong typhoons made landfall in the central region, extremely heavy rains occurred, historic floods were reported on 10 rivers in the northern and central regions, and serious inundation hit low-lying and urban areas, including Hanoi. Since the beginning of 2025, disasters have left 305 people dead or missing and caused economic losses estimated at 69 trillion VND (2.62 billion USD).
Regarding the upcoming national conference, Tien said his ministry has worked with relevant agencies and localities to compile a comprehensive report assessing all aspects of disaster prevention and control, including preparedness, monitoring and forecasting, communications, coordination mechanisms, rescue operations, relief efforts, and post-disaster recovery.
He stressed that proactive and immediate actions in these areas have helped sustain agricultural growth for many years despite repeated disasters.
Citing the results of the sector’s resilience, the deputy minister said that Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports reached 58.13 billion USD in the first 10 months, up 12.9% year-on-year, with a trade surplus of 17.59 billion USD, up 16.4%.
“We are confident that this year’s total exports will reach the target, around 70 billion USD,” Tien added.
He also said that during major recent disasters such as Typhoon Kalmaegi, the PM directed the ministry to intensify early forecasting and warning, while ministries and localities were instructed to develop response plans for different scenarios, helping to minimise casualties and losses.
Tien noted that the ministry’s national disaster prevention and control master plan, approved by the Prime Minister, includes irrigation and water infrastructure projects developed based on years of hydrological and meteorological data.
In addition, the Party Committee of the ministry has submitted to the Government a project on preventing land subsidence, erosion, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta through 2035, with a vision to 2050.
The ministry is also implementing an overall development plan for the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system to serve multiple purposes and ensure sustainable environmental protection, especially addressing flooding in Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong./.
