Sharing knowledge to prevent damage when earthquakes and tsunamis occur

(CPV) - The public lecture by experts with the content: "Earthquakes, tsunamis: Risks and responses, experiences for Vietnam" focused on reporting, knowledge exchange, updating important information and practical contributions to propaganda, response and prevention work to minimize damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis in Vietnam.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Nga, Director of the Information and Documentation Center, spoke at the event. Photo: TL

  On the morning of December 9, in Hanoi, the Information and Documentation Center in collaboration with the Institute of Geophysics (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) organized a public lecture with the content: "Earthquakes and tsunamis: Risks and responses, experiences for Vietnam".

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Nga, Director of the Information and Documentation Center, said that earthquakes and tsunamis are dangerous natural phenomena, leaving serious consequences for humans and the environment. In recent years, Vietnam has continuously experienced medium-level earthquakes, with a magnitude of 5-6, with a tendency to increase in frequency. The Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Center under the Institute of Geophysics was established under Decision No. 1798/QD-KHCNVN dated September 4, 2007 of the President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (now the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) to implement the regulations on earthquake information and tsunami warning issued under Decision No. 264/2006/QD-TTg dated November 16, 2006 of the Prime Minister on monitoring, collecting, processing information, issuing announcements on earthquakes, tsunami warnings and transferring such information to relevant state agencies to serve the work of prevention, rescue, relief and mitigation of damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis.

Therefore, this Public Lecture will focus on the report content to exchange knowledge, update important information and make practical contributions to propaganda, response and prevention work to minimize damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis in Vietnam.

Sharing what you need to know about earthquakes and tsunamis, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Phuong, Chairman of the Scientific Council, Institute of Geophysics, said that an earthquake is a phenomenon in which the ground is slightly vibrating and then violently shaking due to the sudden movement of layers of soil and rock below the Earth's surface. The sudden movement along geological faults in the solid and hard layers of the Earth's crust creates tectonic earthquakes. The epicenters of earthquakes are often concentrated in narrow and long zones called earthquake belts. The three largest earthquake belts on the planet are the Pacific belt, the Mediterranean - Himalaya belt and extending along the submarine ridge from the Arctic Ocean, through the Atlantic Ocean, far to the South.

Tsunamis are a series of large waves with long wavelengths generated by strong geological changes occurring on the seabed. When the sudden movement of large water columns occurs, or the seabed suddenly rises or falls due to the impact of an earthquake, tsunamis are formed under the influence of gravity. The waves quickly spread through the water environment and become extremely dangerous with great destructive potential when they reach shallow shores.

Assessing the propaganda, response and prevention work to minimize damage caused by earthquakes and tsunamis in Vietnam, Dr. Bui Nhi Nhung, senior researcher at the Institute of Geophysics, said that with the strong direction from management levels to professional agencies, the information and communication system, and relevant agencies, the propaganda and response work to minimize damage caused by earthquakes in Vietnam has been carried out promptly to meet the actual situation. At the same time, through seminars at all levels and direct discussions with the people, it can be seen that the community's awareness of this type of natural disaster as well as the skills to respond to them has significantly increased; helping people in the epicenter areas to stabilize their psychology and promptly reassure the people.

To improve earthquake response skills, Dr. Bui Nhi Nhung suggested that relevant ministries and branches should soon add propaganda materials suitable for remote areas, meeting the practical situation. At the same time, local authorities continue to do a good job of information, propaganda, education, popularization of knowledge for people, training skills for forces: drills, integration of knowledge, earthquake response skills, inclusion in educational programs, extracurricular activities, experiential activities in educational institutions...

At the event, the delegates heard about some contents such as: The danger of earthquakes and tsunamis in Vietnam; monitoring, processing and reporting activities of earthquakes and tsunamis in Vietnam... Thereby, the delegates discussed and proposed some plans for exploitation, operation and safety protection of large projects: Hydroelectric reservoirs, irrigation, national power grid system, traffic system... Ensuring that when an earthquake occurs, if an incident occurs, the damage is at the lowest level and the fastest recovery is possible, in order to restore production activities and develop the economy and society./.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/khoa-hoc/chia-se-kien-thuc-phong-tranh-thiet-hai-khi-xay-ra-dong-dat-song-than-685910.html