Disaster prevention and control towards a safe and sustainable life

PV: Could you tell us about the natural disasters that have occurred in the province in recent years?

Mr. Dang Van Hoa: Due to the terrain and special geographical location, every year Thua Thien - Hue is often affected by many types of natural disasters such as storms, floods, flash floods, landslides, causing great damage to people and property. Floods are extremely dangerous natural disasters with high intensity and fierce destruction, causing great damage to Thua Thien - Hue every year, typically: storm Cecil 1985, historic flood 1999, storm Xangsane 2006, storm Ketsana 2009, storm Damrey 2017, and floods 2020.

In the general context of global climate change (CC), Thua Thien - Hue province is suffering many impacts due to CC. Extreme weather phenomena are tending to occur more severely in both magnitude and frequency.

In 2020, natural disasters in Thua Thien - Hue province occurred abnormally, fiercely, and irregularly. Storms and floods occurred consecutively, on a large scale, with very strong intensity and caused particularly serious consequences. The situation of "storm on storm", "flood on flood" caused huge damage to people and property, severely affecting the lives and production of millions of people in the area. The province alone was directly affected by 3 storms (No. 5, No. 9, No. 13), the circulation of 4 storms (No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, No. 12) caused winds of level 11-12, gusts of level 14-15, accompanied by rain with 8 very heavy rains over a large area. In 2020, natural disasters killed 41 people, 11 people went missing, and caused damage of 2,273 billion VND.

*Planting mangroves helps prevent natural disasters and create livelihoods for people*

In 2021, Thua Thien - Hue was affected by 16 cold air waves and the cold air intensified, causing 8 cold spells, with severe cold in mountainous areas; 10 widespread heat waves; 13 widespread rains and widespread heavy rains; directly affected by 5 storm circulations and 1 tropical depression (TDP). In 2022, there were 7 storms and 2 TDPs operating in the East Sea, of which 3 storms affected the province's weather, 21 cold air waves; 16 heat waves; 10 widespread heavy rains and 2 local heavy rains. In the first 5 months of 2023, Thua Thien - Hue was affected by 8 cold air waves of medium to strong intensity; 6 heat waves, 2 heavy rains...

PV: Given the above situation, what solutions has the province had to improve capacity, proactively prevent natural disasters, and create sustainable livelihoods to help people develop the economy ?

Mr. Dang Van Hoa: As an area that is regularly affected by natural disasters, disaster prevention, search and rescue work is of special concern to Party committees and authorities at all levels. Every year, all levels develop their own disaster prevention and control plans and develop response scenarios. Thanks to good preparation work and the smooth coordination of all levels, sectors and people, the damage caused by storms and floods has been minimized. Through practical work on disaster prevention, search and rescue, the province has drawn up a number of solutions.

Specifically, implementing the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the Law on Dikes. The direction of natural disaster response follows the "4 on-site" motto, including on-site command; on-site forces; on-site means and materials; on-site logistics.

*Building embankments to prevent landslides in Thua Thien - Hue*

Strengthening the capacity of forecasting and warning natural disasters, especially forecasting and warning rain, timely and accurately on the situation to serve well the direction of the operation of reservoirs. Planting and protecting forests (reviewing the planning of 3 types of forests to integrate with the national forestry planning, accordingly, areas with high risk of landslides will be transferred to protection forest planning to strengthen the function of forest management, protection and development, increasing the planting of multi-species protection forests to increase vegetation to contribute to protecting and preserving the land; updating areas at risk of landslides in the province, proposing prevention solutions).

Implement engineering solutions, such as rural infrastructure upgrade programs in some key areas. Repair and upgrade some flood mitigation projects such as embankments, culverts, pumping stations. Build some flood mitigation projects: dredging rivers, preventing riverbank and coastal erosion. Reconstruction and poverty reduction programs for people living in coastal and lagoon areas. Build rescue centers in flooded areas. Program to build shelters for boats and fishing ports. Build rural water supply projects, etc.

PV: In the coming time, what solutions will the province continue to implement in natural disaster prevention to create sustainable livelihoods for local people?

Mr. Dang Van Hoa: Currently, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is advising the Provincial People's Committee to review the Planning for natural disaster prevention, control and irrigation for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; implementing the Target Program "Restructuring the agricultural economy and preventing and mitigating natural disasters, stabilizing people's lives".

*VietGap models help people develop the economy*

The province has been implementing programs, projects and models to contribute to natural disaster prevention to create sustainable livelihoods for local people. Specifically, the project to improve the safety of 12 reservoirs and dams in the province with a budget of 245 billion VND. Investing in upgrading Cua Lac dam in the downstream of O Lau river with a budget of about 600 billion VND (Cua Lac dam has the task of preventing salinity and keeping fresh water for more than 5,500 hectares of rice in the two provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue).

Research to add flood reduction solutions for the downstream of the O Lau River basin between the two provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue by investing in flood diversion works from the O Lau River to Cua Viet (Quang Tri). Flood drainage project in the downstream area and anti-silting of estuaries. Dredging of waterways in the downstream of the Huong River (including tributaries, canals, and estuaries), Bo River, and Truoi River to increase flood drainage capacity, with an estimated cost of about 500 billion VND.

Construction of works to prevent riverbank erosion (60 km), coastal erosion (20 km). Project to build new, renovate, expand and upgrade the system of sluices on the dike to prevent salinity along Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon to increase flood drainage capacity, prevent waterlogging and flooding to ensure agricultural production; estimated cost of about 500 billion VND. Stabilization works, anti-silting works at Thuan An, Tu Hien estuaries, Lach Giang estuaries, Bu Lu estuaries. Investment in monitoring, surveillance and early warning systems for downstream areas of irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs.

The province continues to maintain models that bring high economic efficiency thanks to production according to VietGAP standards. Typical models are the models of Quang Tho pennywort, Quang Thanh vegetables, Huong An green onions, Nam Dong orange production model, and cage fish farming according to VietGAP process. Promote production and promote OCOP products. In addition, some models of community tourism development and rural tourism are gradually developing, bringing living conditions and livelihoods to people...

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