Natural disaster victims highest in 5 years
VGP - As of August 5, natural disasters left 111 people dead or missing, the highest number over the past 5 years, reported the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.
The North suffered the most human loss, with 77 deaths and missing (38 due to landslides, 26 due to floods and flash floods and 13 due to tornadoes and lightning).
This figure is nearly three times higher than the same period in 2023 (27 people died and went missing).
From the beginning of this year, Viet Nam suffered 21 out of 22 types of disasters with 636 natural calamities, including storms, flash floods, landslides, tornadoes and lightning.
According to the World Bank (WB), Viet Nam is among the most vulnerable to flooding on the planet. Significant segments of Viet Nam's economic activity are already at risk from the effects of climate change.
In its country climate and development report, the WB estimates climate change cost Viet Nam about 3.2 percent of its GDP in 2020 and could deprive it of as much as 12-14.5 percent of GDP by 2050 without concerted climate action.
Earlier on August 4, in a dispatch, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested relevant ministries, agencies and localities to take proactive measures to prevent, control, and deal with natural disaster consequences in the coming time.
The Prime Minister asked for a close watch on disaster developments and putting in place strong, timely, and efficient measures for disaster response and aftermath settlement, completing response plans, accelerating preparations before the season of floods and storms.
He ordered evacuating residents and property from dangerous areas, especially those susceptible to landslides, flash floods and flooding, to safer places, and arranging funding from the local budget for disaster response activities./.
