Enhance digitization and automation in disaster prevention and control

On December 30, the General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) held an online conference "Summarizing the direction and operation in 2021, implementing key tasks in 2022" of the General Department and Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Mr. Tran Quang Hoai, Director of the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that in 2021, natural disasters in the world will continue to develop abnormally and fiercely, causing great damage to people and property. In Vietnam, the whole country had 841 natural disasters with 18/22 types; including 12 storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea.

Since the year beginning, natural disasters have left 108 people dead, missing, 95 injured; the estimated damage is over VND 5,200 billion. However, 2021 is still a year of record reduction in damage caused by natural disasters compared to 2020 (357 people are dead and missing, economic loss is VND 39,945 billion).

“The year 2021 has many important milestones for disaster prevention. As our society is getting bigger and bigger, the need for safety protection against natural disasters is increasing day by day. We have worked together for a year to carry out assigned political tasks, making an important contribution to minimizing damage caused by natural disasters, step by step building a safe society against natural disasters”, shared Mr. Tran Quang Hoai.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep, with two main tasks: state management of natural disaster prevention and control and the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has completed the task in 2021.

“In 2021, natural disasters and wind storms will be less but more challenging. Nature is still complicated, the consequences caused by natural disasters are still there. However, with a proactive attitude, we have significantly reduced the damage caused by natural disasters. Especially minimizing costs for society to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, especially in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic. It is also the experience for us to deploy in the next years,” said Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep.

According to the Deputy Minister, 2022 is forecasted to have more unpredictable natural disaster situations. Therefore, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control needs to focus on three phases: prevention, response, and recovery. Each stage needs to be more professionalized to become a process of disaster prevention.

In addition, from the reality of natural disaster prevention, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control needs to proactively advise the whole political system to step in. At the same time, it is necessary to focus more on the application of science and technology, digitization and automation in disaster prevention and control.

Attending and directing the Conference, Minister Le Minh Hoan said that "Those who do natural disaster prevention and control need to have empathy and help people because each severe flood can cause loss of life and the property of the people".

The Minister said that, from places often affected by natural disasters, scientists, with science and technology, need to sequence information and data from year to year to give warnings and measures to be more proactive in disaster prevention.

In addition, there should be close coordination between forecasting and response agencies... along with support from international partners, thereby improving disaster prevention and control.

“In 2021, Vietnam has to face nine storms. Although it does not cause as much damage as in 2020, it may signal a more severe disaster year in 2022. Therefore, we need to be proactive and improve our capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters", emphasized Minister Le Minh Hoan.

According to Deputy Director-General of the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) Hoang Duc Cuong, in 2022, the weather situation in Vietnam will tend to change from cold to hot, from many storms to few storms. However, the storm will be stronger and more extreme. Winter will be colder. Rains will come earlier and end earlier.