Avoid the situation when the landslide occurs, then find the resettlement area

Seven months with approximately 100 landslide spots

On August 15, the delegation of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (NDPC) worked with the Vinh Long Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue (NDPC-SR) on the NDPC work in the province in 2023.

According to the Vinh Long Provincial Steering Committee for NDPC-SR, in the first seven months of 2023, in the province, natural disasters killed 2 people (due to lightning strikes). Thunderstorms collapsed five houses, blew off the roofs of 71 houses, 1 commune police headquarters, and part of the roof of a business’s restaurant. For agricultural production, thunderstorms and heavy rains damaged and fell over 1,970 ha of winter-spring rice, 4.25 ha of autumn-winter rice, and 0.13ha of fruit trees.

In the past seven months, the whole province had 98 landslide spots, an increase of 61 spots compared to the same period last year, losing over 3,000m of riverbank (an increase of nearly 1,800m). The damage caused by landslides and subsidence is estimated at over VND 8.4 billion.

Total damage caused by natural disasters in the province in the past seven months is estimated at approximately VND 68 billion.

According to the plan for NDPC approved by the Provincial People's Committee, when a natural disaster occurs, the province will mobilize forces, means, equipment, supplies, food, and necessities according to the motto "4 in place".

Over 7,100 people are mobilized for prevention, control, and response to natural disasters occurring in the province. The participating forces include the military, police, self-defense militias, pioneering forces, and corporations. Means, equipment, supplies, and necessities are always ready to be mobilized.

Mr. Van Huu Hue, Deputy Director of Vinh Long Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that there are 10 causes of landslides in Vinh Long, including: sand mining, curvilinear river, narrowing of the flow (due to fish rafts, river encroachment works), the problem of expanding vortex holes in the riverbed, geological situation, etc.

In fact, in recent times, localities in the province have well implemented the motto "4 in place". When there are natural disasters such as thunderstorms causing damage to houses, riverbank landslides, etc., the forces quickly mobilize in-place forces to promptly respond and assist people in moving people and property out of dangerous areas, cleaning houses, objects, and fallen trees, and reinforcing the landslide site.

Thanks to the attention of all levels and branches, the work of supporting and overcoming the damage was promptly implemented. In the year 2022 and the first seven months of 2023, from different sources, the Steering Committees for NDPC-SR at all levels have supported an amount of over VND 22.6 billion to stabilize housing and restore production for the affected people.

Proposal to support VND 747 billion for the province

In general, the work of preventing and controlling natural disasters and responding to climate change in recent times has achieved quite good results, helping to reduce damage caused by natural disasters. However, this work still faces some difficulties and passives.

At present, the locality still lacks resources to strengthen the community capacity to respond to climate change and natural disasters. Facilities, means, equipment, and tools to support NDPC are still limited. Riverbank landslides are increasingly serious, while the forecast of riverbank landslides in the Mekong Delta is not yet available, making it difficult to respond.

Handling and overcoming landslides takes a lot of funds, but due to the difficulty of the province's resources, investment in construction works is very limited, mainly implementing reinforcement and temporary treatment measures to limit damage.

Therefore, the central budget needs to support the province with a total fund of VND 747 billion to invest in implementing structural solutions in Vinh Long province according to the project "Riverbank and Coastal Erosion Prevention and Control to 2030", approved by the Prime Minister at Decision No. 957/QD-TTg dated July 6, 2020.

In addition, Vinh Long province also requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to direct the review and adjustment of flood alarming levels at hydrographic stations on the mainstream of the Mekong River according to the current elevation system (VN-2000). At the same time, support funds, means, and equipment and organize training for the commune-level pioneering team to respond well from the beginning when a situation occurs.

Mr. Hoang Cong Thuy, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and member of the National Steering Committee for NDPC, appreciated Vinh Long's NDPC work in forecasting, prevention, and response to natural disasters in recent times. He suggested Vinh Long continue to grasp thoroughly the strict implementation of the Central’s guiding documents.

Thereby, raising awareness about complicated developments and heavy consequences of subsidence and landslides for party committees, authorities, fronts, corporations, people, and businesses. It is recommended that the locality review the river system and make statistics of households in areas with high risk of landslides to shape the planning of resettlement areas for people and avoid the situation that only when the landslide occurs will the locality calculate to find a resettlement area.

Mr. Hoang Cong Thuy also suggested that the locality continue to handle and overcome landslide areas to ensure the safety of people's lives and important infrastructure. Strictly control the construction of riverside houses, especially in areas at risk of landslides. Strictly manage the problem of sand mining in the river. Training and practices on landslide and natural disaster prevention and control must be implemented regularly.

The Vinh Long Provincial Steering Committee for NDPC-SR recommends that the National Steering Committee for NDPC adopt policies to support damage caused by natural disasters and support people in restoring their houses and production. The Government needs to issue a separate support policy for the Mekong Delta provinces as it has for the Central provinces (in the Prime Minister's Decision No. 48/2014/QD-TTg dated August 28, 2014 on policies to support poor households in building houses to prevent and avoid storms and floods in the Central region).