Officers and soldiers of Ca Xeng Border Guard Station, Quang Tri help to remove temporary and dilapidated houses for people. (Photo: GIANG-DINH)
However, there is a worrying reality that natural disasters, storms, floods and climate change are directly threatening the achievements and sustainability of poverty reduction work. The two recent storms No. 10 and No. 11 have left serious consequences in many localities. Many northern mountainous provinces and cities were submerged in floods, hundreds of thousands of households lost their houses, crops and livestock; many roads and bridges were eroded, traffic was cut off... The central provinces also suffered serious losses, many households who had just escaped poverty were now poor again after the floods. After just one night, all the efforts of the people to accumulate, borrow capital and improve production were swept away by the water...
Co Dam Commune School, Ha Tinh Province was heavily affected by storm No. 10. (Photo by NGO TUAN)
Every year, our country still has to endure dozens of storms, flash floods, landslides, and thousands of poor and near-poor households fall into poverty. In many places, temporary housing has just been demolished, but after a storm, hundreds of households lost their homes. Not only the poor are hurt, but also better-off households can fall back into the vicious cycle of poverty. Natural disasters are therefore not only a natural risk, but also a risk to disrupt poverty reduction efforts that have lasted for many years.
In recent Government meetings, regarding poverty reduction, leaders of ministries and branches have emphasized that poverty reduction issues need to take into account factors affecting natural disasters, even including this content in the criteria for evaluating and reviewing poor households.
Sharing about Vietnam's poverty reduction activities in recent times, the representative of the National Office for Poverty Reduction (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that Vietnam has issued national poverty standards 8 times, is one of the first 30 countries in the world and the first country in Asia to apply multidimensional poverty standards, ensuring a minimum standard of living associated with sustainable development goals.
In the 2021-2025 period, Vietnam's poverty reduction program has achieved many remarkable results, with the poverty rate decreasing by an average of 1-1.5% per year; in ethnic minority areas alone, it decreased by more than 3% per year. However, factors such as natural disasters, epidemics, and climate change have increased the risk of falling back into poverty. Many localities have recorded great damage, affecting growth targets and social stability. In the northern mountainous region alone, in the 2010-2020 period, damage caused by natural disasters amounted to more than 16,000 billion VND, a figure that clearly reflects the scale of impact on sustainable poverty reduction.
Increasingly severe climate change forces us to rethink our thinking on poverty reduction policies. Poverty reduction cannot be separated from people’s ability to adapt and withstand natural disasters. Poverty reduction strategies in the coming period need to be closely linked to sustainable development goals, investing in safe infrastructure, resilient housing, climate-resilient livelihoods and risk insurance for the poor.
Assessing the effectiveness of the poverty reduction program for the 2021-2025 period, on that basis, the Government will develop and submit to the National Assembly for consideration and approval a decree regulating the national multidimensional poverty standard for the 2026-2030 period and the investment policy for the National Target Program on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2026-2030 period with new criteria and approaches... It is expected that about 360,000 billion VND from the state budget will be allocated for the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and new rural development in the new period, demonstrating the determination to "leave no one behind" in the context of increasingly severe climate change.
Along with the efforts of the Party and the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front plays a key role in mobilizing society to join hands to help the poor. Towards the peak month "For the poor" in 2025, the Vietnam Fatherland Front calls on all levels, sectors, businesses and the entire population to participate in supporting the "For the poor" Fund, supporting the construction of houses, schools, and welfare works, with special priority given to areas damaged by storms and floods, remote areas, border areas and islands. This activity is not only humanitarian in meaning, but also a boost for the sustainable poverty reduction program, helping people have more support after natural disasters.
Sustainable poverty reduction is a consistent goal, but to maintain that achievement, it is more important to have policies to support people with the capacity to stand firm in the face of incidents and natural disasters. When each person is better protected against natural disasters and localities know how to proactively adapt to climate, the country's poverty reduction will be more effective and sustainable.
NHAT ANH
Source: https://nhandan.vn/thach-thuc-trong-muc-tieu-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-post917290.html
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