Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) recentlyreleased a report in which it called on the Vietnamese Government to takeurgent action to ensure future growth in the face of natural disaster risks.
The report, “Resilient Shores: Vietnam’s CoastalDevelopment between Opportunity and Disaster Risk”, says the Government hasmade impressive progress in managing disaster risks in recent decades,investing in structural and non-structural risk reduction measures, andadopting extensive legal, regulatory and policy frameworks to guide coastaldevelopment in safe and sustainable ways. However, these measures fall short ofthe country’s needs.
It notes that as disasters like floods havebecome more frequent while coastal populations and economic activities aregrowing, natural shocks already have a serious impact on Vietnam’s coastaldevelopment and these risks will increase.
Therefore, taking action is urgent to protectthe obtained development achievements and ensure future development in the faceof natural shocks, the report recommends.
It estimates that 12 million people in coastalprovinces are exposed to the threat of intense flooding and over 35 percent ofsettlements are located on eroding coastlines, attributing the increase ofdisaster risks to rapid urbanisation, economic growth, and climate change.
The report presents a concrete action plan infive strategic areas that needs to be rolled out immediately and decisively,namely strengthening data and decision-making tools, factoring risks in zoningand spatial planning, strengthening the resilience of infrastructure systemsand public services, taking advantage of nature-based solutions, and improvingdisaster preparedness and response capacity./.
VNA