Over 1,100 natural disasters hit Viet Nam in 2023

The fatality toll dropped five percent against last year while damages caused by natural disasters were estimated at about VND 8.20 trillion (or over US$338 million), down 58 percent year-on-year. 

Viet Nam has faced eight storms and tropical depressions along with some severe heat waves with temperatures in some places reaching up to 44.2 degrees Celsius, said Deputy Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Hoang Phuc Lam.

Heavy rains have taken place in the central region, with 35 provinces and cities affected by floods and landslides, he added.

Major disasters included a landslide at the Bao Loc Pass in Lam Dong province, killing four people; a landslide in Dalat City, killing two and injuring five others; and a flash flood, killing nine people in Sapa Town and Bat Xat District of Lao Cai province," he added.

Despite the abnormal and extreme nature of the disasters, the Government, Prime Minister, and national steering committee have directed ministries and localities to vigorously and promptly implement responsive solutions.

Throughout the year, the center has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to increase the level of warnings against floods and landslides, focusing on applying new and modern technologies to determine rainfall thresholds. A real-time warning information system is being integrated into its related forecasting.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has coordinated with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to build a national plan for natural disaster prevention and control through 2025 in a bid to improve capacity for natural disaster prevention and control, climate change adaptation to proactively respond to and reduce damage caused by natural disasters.

In a meeting in Ha Noi on December 8, Ramla Al Khalidi, Resident Representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP) in Viet Nam, noted that UNDP and MARD have completed the building and installation of 24 early warning stations in coastal communes with high disaster risks in seven provinces, and they will give assistance in operating the stations in the first quarter of 2024.

Early warning for all must be the key to early action and resilience enhancement, Khalidi continued, adding that UNDP hopes all the partners in disaster risk reduction will join hands to support early warning-related activities./.