Delegate Tran Nhat Minh (Nghe An): Perfecting policies, enhancing capacity to respond to and overcome consequences of natural disasters

However, delegates also pointed out many limitations that still exist; at the same time, they recommended that the Government promptly review and perfect policies, increase infrastructure investment, improve response capacity and community skills, in order to minimize damage, ensure people's safety and sustainable development...

Recently, the Government has issued a decision to support more than 3,000 billion VND from reserve sources and the central budget for localities to control and overcome the consequences of natural disasters. Of which, more than 2,500 billion VND has been allocated to 15 localities, including Nghe An , to overcome the consequences caused by recent storms and landslides.

Speaking at the discussion session, delegate Tran Nhat Minh acknowledged the proactiveness and determination of the Government, ministries, branches and localities in supporting people, restoring production and stabilizing life after natural disasters. However, in addition to the achieved results, the implementation still has many major challenges that need to be overcome soon.

National Assembly Deputy Tran Nhat Minh (Nghe An Delegation) speaks

According to the delegate, the report of the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in 2023 shows that the early warning system has been significantly improved, but there are still many areas, especially remote areas, that do not have full access to warning information, making it difficult for people to proactively respond when natural disasters occur. Along with that, the shortage of financial resources for natural disaster prevention and control remains a difficult problem.

The World Bank's 2023 National Climate and Development Report for Vietnam clearly states that Vietnam needs to invest at least 3-5 billion USD per year to improve its ability to respond to natural disasters, while the current budget only meets about 40% of the demand. This lack of resources greatly affects the maintenance, construction and upgrading of natural disaster prevention and control works such as dykes, reservoirs and flood drainage systems. Many works have seriously degraded but have not been repaired, while many sea and river dykes continue to be severely eroded, directly threatening people's lives.

Another worrying fact is the construction of works in areas with high risk of natural disasters but lacking appropriate protection solutions, leading to increasingly serious damage. In addition, the complicated situation of deforestation in mountainous areas causes the loss of natural "shields", increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides. Pointing out these shortcomings, delegate Tran Nhat Minh said that if these limitations are not thoroughly handled, they will continue to create a vicious cycle of "natural disasters - recovery - re-damage", causing long-term losses to the economy and society, especially in mountainous and coastal areas.

From the above-mentioned shortcomings, delegate Tran Nhat Minh proposed that the Government promptly summarize and review the results of implementing the National Strategy on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control to 2030, with a vision to 2050, issued under Decision No. 379/QD-TTg dated March 17, 2021, in order to promptly adjust goals, solutions and organizational mechanisms in accordance with the new situation, especially in the context of increasingly severe climate change.

In addition, it is necessary to speed up the progress of building large-scale maps of landslides and flash floods according to Decision 162/QD-TTg dated October 27, 2023 to promptly warn of risks for the midland and mountainous areas in the North and areas with complex terrain.

Delegate Tran Nhat Minh also emphasized that localities need to plan safe residential areas, build storm and flood shelters to ensure people's safety, especially in mountainous areas such as Nghe An, where people still face many difficulties in finding safe shelter during the rainy and stormy season. At the same time, it is necessary to complete the monitoring and warning system for flash floods, landslides in high-risk areas, and supplement the budget to upgrade dikes, reservoirs, and degraded flood drainage systems, minimizing damage to people and property.

Another important issue mentioned by the delegates was the review and restoration of key transport systems in areas isolated by floods, especially in mountainous areas. The delegates cited Yen Hoa commune, Nghe An province. The recent floods have collapsed many bridges, making it very difficult for people to travel, study and produce. In some places, students have to travel hundreds of kilometers or travel by boat to get to school. Therefore, investment in repairing and rebuilding key transport infrastructure is an urgent requirement to ensure people's lives, social stability and local economic development.

On that basis, delegates also suggested that it is necessary to focus on raising public awareness and training people on skills to prevent, combat and overcome the consequences of natural disasters. Education programs on natural disaster prevention and combat need to be implemented substantially and regularly at the local level and in schools to form the habit of proactive response in all situations.

Delegate Tran Nhat Minh said that in many places, people have known how to flexibly apply remedial measures, such as leveling wet soil immediately after floods to avoid hardening, but there are also many places that lack experience and response skills. Therefore, disseminating knowledge and training the community is a key factor in the strategy of minimizing damage and adapting to natural disasters in the long term.

Delegate Tran Nhat Minh affirmed: the work of preventing, combating and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters needs to be considered a strategic, long-term task, linked to the goal of national sustainable development... To achieve that, there needs to be close coordination between the central and local levels, community participation and effective mobilization of social and international resources in investment, research and application of science and technology in the work of preventing and combating natural disasters.

Only with comprehensive, synchronous and proactive preparation from early on and from afar can Vietnam minimize damage, firmly protect people's lives, and contribute to the successful implementation of socio-economic development goals in the new period.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/dai-bieu-tran-nhat-minh-nghe-an-hoan-thien-chinh-sach-tang-cuong-nang-luc-ung-pho-va-khac-phuc-hau-qua-thien-tai-10391191.html