Prime Minister requests focus on responding to risks of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed Official Dispatch No. 76/CD-TTg dated May 28, 2025 requesting ministries, branches and localities to focus on responding to the risks of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters in the coming time.

Ministries and localities focus on responding to the risks of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters in the coming time.

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 requests 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 authority, to focus on directing, proactively inspecting, urging, and organizing timely and effective implementation of natural disaster prevention and combat and search and rescue work, not to be passive, surprised, or interrupted in responding to natural disasters when rearranging and perfecting the apparatus of the political system and rearranging administrative units and organizing two-level local governments.

Complete response plans for each type of natural disaster that may occur.

The Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities are responsible to the Prime Minister for directing the work of natural disaster prevention, control, search and rescue in the area; directing relevant agencies and units (especially the Chairmen of the People's Committees at district and commune levels at present) according to their functions and tasks to continue to closely monitor the situation, continue to seriously, promptly and effectively implement the work of natural disaster prevention, control, 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, do not let interruptions occur in directing response to natural disasters when rearranging administrative units and organizing local governments at 2 levels.

Urgently review and develop a plan to reorganize the force performing the task 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).

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

Strengthening the agency responsible for directing and commanding disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue when organizing two-level local government

The Prime Minister requested the Minister of Agriculture and Environment to closely monitor and supervise weather and natural disaster situations to forecast, warn, and promptly inform relevant agencies and people to proactively respond and minimize damage; and direct the implementation of natural disaster prevention and control work according to assigned functions, tasks, and authority.

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.

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.

Ensuring safety for hydroelectric dams

The Prime Minister assigned the Minister of Industry and Trade to direct the assurance of electricity supply, deploy necessary measures to proactively ensure safety for hydroelectric dams, focus on immediately overcoming risks identified through Typhoon Yagi in 2024 for the power transmission system and hydroelectric dams (including Thac Ba Hydropower Plant); coordinate 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 use water resources economically and effectively for power generation during the peak hot months.

The Minister of Construction directed 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 on national highways and main traffic routes.

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.

The Minister of Public Security directed local police, especially the grassroots police force, 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.

Strengthen communication and provide guidance on disaster prevention and control skills to the people.

The Prime Minister requested the General Directors of Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, and Vietnam News Agency to coordinate with relevant agencies to direct the strengthening of communication, raise awareness, and provide guidance on disaster prevention and control skills, especially flash floods and landslides for the people; update information, and report promptly and accurately when there are natural disasters so that people know and proactively respond appropriately.

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.

The Prime Minister assigned 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 and control, search and rescue work in accordance with the situation.

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 any urgent or arising issues./.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/thu-tuong-yeu-cau-tap-trung-ung-pho-nguy-co-mua-lon-sat-lo-dat-lu-quet-703827.html