Prime Minister's telegram on focusing on responding to the risk of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters in the coming time

Prime Minister's telegram on focusing on responding to the risk of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters in the coming time - Photo 1.

Ministries and localities focus on responding to the risks of heavy rain, landslides and flash floods.

Since the beginning of 2025, natural disasters have left 29 people dead and missing, 67 houses collapsed, and 2,342 houses had their roofs blown off or damaged. In May 2025, there were many heavy rains (especially the historic heavy rains in May in Ha Tinh province), causing landslides, flash floods, and localized flooding in some localities, causing damage to people and property, greatly affecting production and people's lives.

Currently, preparing for the rainy and stormy season, the risk of natural disasters, storms, floods, landslides, and flash floods is high. According to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from the evening of May 28 to 30, 2025, there may be moderate rain, heavy rain, and very heavy rain in some places (locally over 250mm), with the risk of landslides, flash floods, and flooding in the Northern, North Central, Central Highlands, and Southern regions.

In the current context, localities are focusing on rearranging administrative units and organizing two-level local governments to proactively prevent and combat natural disasters, especially landslides, flash floods, and inundations, ensuring safety of life and limiting damage to people's and state's property, the Prime Minister requested:

1. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, according to their assigned functions, tasks and powers, focus on directing, proactively inspecting, urging and organizing the timely and effective implementation of natural disaster prevention, control and rescue work, avoiding passivity, surprise, and interruption in disaster response work when arranging and perfecting the organization of the political system and rearranging administrative units and local government organizations at 2 levels.

2. Chairman of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities

a) Responsible to the Prime Minister for directing work

Prevent and control natural disasters, search and rescue in the area; direct relevant agencies and units (especially the current Chairman of the People's Committee at the district and commune levels) according to their functions and tasks to continue to closely monitor the situation, continue to seriously, promptly and effectively implement the work of preventing and controlling natural disasters, and search and rescue in the area according to the motto "four on-site" with the most proactive, timely and drastic spirit, in accordance with the local reality, with the goal of ensuring the safety of people's lives above all, first of all. Absolutely do not be negligent, subjective, lose vigilance, and do not let interruptions occur in directing and responding to natural disasters when restructuring administrative units and organizing local governments at 2 levels.

b) Urgently review and develop a plan to reorganize the force performing the tasks of natural disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue at the provincial and grassroots levels according to the instructions of competent authorities, and at the same time, in accordance with the actual conditions of the locality to ensure smooth, effective and efficient operations from July 1, 2025 (after the district level ends its operations).

c) Review and complete response plans for each type of natural disaster that may occur in the area, especially response plans for heavy rain, landslides, flash floods, storms, and floods; focus on immediately overcoming risks identified through Typhoon Yagi in 2024, develop response readiness scenarios, protect key areas, and avoid being passive or surprised when situations arise.

3. Minister of Agriculture and Environment:

a) Organize close monitoring and supervision of weather and natural disaster situations to forecast, warn, and promptly inform authorities and people to proactively respond and minimize damage; direct the implementation of natural disaster prevention and control work according to assigned functions, tasks, and authorities.

b) Direct localities to review, update, and complete disaster prevention and control plans, ensuring they are suitable to the specific situation of the locality and the operations of local governments at two levels.

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Home Affairs to urgently review and guide localities to perfect the agencies performing the tasks of directing and commanding natural disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue when organizing two-level local governments.

4. The Minister of Industry and Trade directs the assurance of electricity supply, deploys necessary measures to proactively ensure safety for hydroelectric dams, focuses on immediately overcoming risks identified through Typhoon Yagi in 2024 for the power transmission system, hydroelectric dams (including Thac Ba Hydroelectric Power Plant); coordinates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to direct the operation of hydroelectric reservoirs to ensure absolute safety for hydroelectric works, and at the same time uses water resources economically and effectively for power generation during the peak hot months.

5. The Minister of Construction directs the review and implementation of plans to ensure traffic safety and traffic infrastructure and construction works in case of natural disasters, promptly repair landslides and traffic routes that have been cut off, and ensure smooth traffic, especially national highways and main traffic axes.

6. The Minister of National Defense shall coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to guide localities to perfect the agencies performing the tasks of natural disaster prevention, control and search and rescue in accordance with the Law on Civil Defense, the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the organization of two-level local governments; direct the Military Regions and forces stationed in the area to review, develop plans, proactively mobilize forces and means to coordinate with localities and relevant forces to deploy natural disaster response, search and rescue, and quickly overcome the consequences of natural disasters according to regulations.

7. The Minister of Public Security directs local police, especially grassroots police forces, to develop plans and proactively deploy support for people to prevent, combat, and overcome the consequences of natural disasters and incidents, and to search and rescue when situations arise.

8. General Director: Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency coordinate with relevant agencies to direct the strengthening of communication, raising awareness, providing guidance on disaster prevention and control skills, especially flash floods and landslides for the people; updating information, reporting promptly and accurately when there are natural disasters so that people know and proactively respond appropriately.

9. Other ministries and branches, according to their assigned functions and tasks, shall proactively direct and organize the implementation of natural disaster prevention and control work in their assigned state management areas, and promptly support localities in responding to and overcoming situations when they occur.

10. Assign Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to directly direct relevant ministries, branches and localities to implement this telegram and continue to direct the implementation of natural disaster prevention, control, search and rescue work in accordance with the situation.

11. The Government Office, according to its assigned functions and tasks, shall monitor and urge the implementation of this Official Dispatch; promptly report to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge on urgent and arising issues.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/9/173376/cong-dien-cua-thu-tuong-chinh-phu-ve-viec-tap-trung-ung-pho-nguy-co-mua-lon-sat-lo-dat-lu-quet-va-ch