Continue to effectively implement natural disaster prevention and control work

The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search Rescue (NDPSR) has held a national online conference summarizing the work of disaster prevention and search and rescue in 2023 and set up tasks in 2024. The conference focused on evaluating achieved results, pointing out shortcomings, limitations, causes and setting out key tasks in the coming time.

Leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, together with the agricultural sector and relevant localities, survey projects to prevent disasters that may occur in the province.

Proactive prevention

According to Binh Duong provincial Steering Committee for NDPSR, in 2023, natural disaster prevention work has been done synchronously in both quality and quantity. Namely, the province consolidated and assigned tasks to members of the command board at all levels; developed plans, schemes, legal documents, and administrative documents in a timely manner. To speed up progress and ensure quality of investment projects, maintenance, repair and upgrading of key works on flood prevention, tide control, landslides...; irrigation works, dykes, and reservoirs operated safely, with no construction incidents occurring during the year...

Besides, dissemination and implementation of legal documents were effectively carried out. In addition, the consolidation of NDPSR Steering Committee at all levels was proactively directed and implemented by Chairmen of People's Committees at all levels according to Decree No. 66 of the Government detailing the implementation of some articles of the Law on Disaster Prevention and Control, the Law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Disaster Prevention and Control and the Law on Dykes.

Notably, regarding forecasting and warning work, in the past year, the NDPSR Steering Committee made detailed weather and hydrological forecasts to districts and towns in the province; timely provided hydrometeorological forecasts and warnings about dangerous weather phenomena to serve the direction of the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters and proactively planning production and business.

Raise awareness

Pham Van Bong, Director of Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, Deputy Head of Provincial NDPSR Steering Committee, said that in recent times, Binh Duong province has paid special attention to disaster prevention and control work and identified this as an important political task of the province. Thanks to good disaster prevention, Binh Duong minimized damage to people and property. From the beginning of the year to November 13, 2023, 19 natural disasters occurred in the province, with an estimated total value of property damage of about 5.8 billion VND.

In 2023, the province's disaster prevention tasks were implemented to ensure progress and effectiveness as planned. Irrigation works and reservoirs in the province have been properly operated and regulated, ensuring adequate water supply for agricultural production. Up to now, the whole province has not had a shortage of water for agricultural production; saltwater intrusion on the Saigon River did not affect daily life and agricultural production activities.

Regarding strategies and plans to respond to natural disasters, the province has so far issued a plan to implement the disaster prevention strategy until 2030, with a vision for 2050; a plan to implement the national disaster prevention master program in Binh Duong province. Plans focus on implementing tasks to improve the system of documents, regulations and policies in the field of disaster prevention, raising awareness of disaster prevention in the community; Improve disaster prevention capacity for task force, ability to predict and warn of natural disasters; Complete plans and options based on reality for effective and synchronous implementation; Investing, upgrading and enhancing design capacity, resilience and adaptation to climate change of disaster prevention infrastructure works in the province.

To well carry out disaster prevention work in the province, the Standing Office of the Provincial NDPSR Steering Committee proposed that the National Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control consider and give opinions to relevant ministries and branches on a number of contents. Accordingly, to regularly organize training classes to improve capacity, professional qualifications and skills in disaster prevention and control for staff in charge of disaster prevention, full-time and non-specialized staff; Soon approve the flood map of the downstream area of Tri An hydroelectric dam and Dau Tieng - Phuoc Hoa irrigation lake according to the provisions of Point c, Clause 3, Article 27 of Decree No. 114/2018/ND-CP and transfer it to localities and dam owners to develop plans to respond to emergency situations; Establishing dyke planning, flood prevention for Saigon and Dong Nai rivers, and disaster prevention planning for the Southeast region as a basis for localities to develop plans to develop dyke and irrigation systems integrated into provincial planning. At the same time, to support the provision of equipment for disaster prevention and rescue work to localities from State reserves to gradually meet the equipment needs of forces participating in natural disaster response and search and rescue. rescue when a situation occurs; soon issue a Decree amending and supplementing Decree 78/2021/ND-CP to overcome recent limitations and shortcomings.

 Binh Duong Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1397/QD-UBND on the plan to implement the project "Raising public awareness and community-based natural disaster risk management, until 2030" in the province. The plan focuses on completing documents on mechanisms, policies, and documents guiding organizations to raise public awareness and community-based natural disaster risk management; training to improve the capacity of forces working on natural disaster prevention and control, government officials at all levels and strengthening propaganda and education to raise awareness; Strengthen community capacity and skills in natural disaster risk reduction.

 Reported by T.Phuong, H.Thao - Translated by Ngoc Huynh