MARD and UNICEF promote cooperation in natural disaster prevention and control

Within the framework of cooperation between UNICEF and MARD, Ms. Lesley Miller, in her role as Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam for over six years, has made significant contributions to Vietnam's agriculture and rural development, particularly in sustainable rural development and disaster prevention and control.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep shared that during her tenure, Ms. Miller has always been a crucial link in implementing important cooperative activities between MARD and UNICEF.

Regarding disaster prevention and control, her contributions include promoting the support and construction of a five-year Disaster Risk Reduction Program funded by the Japanese Government, providing technical support to review, amend, and develop sub-law documents, strategies, plans, and policies on disaster prevention in line with international agreements and commitments, prioritizing vulnerable groups, especially children; promoting and expanding initiatives to build safe, clean, and green communities, and supporting emergency response activities for major disasters in Vietnam, such as storms and floods in Central Vietnam in 2020, Nghe An in 2022, and Hue in 2023 by providing water filtration equipment to localities, or supporting water tanks for people in the Mekong Delta affected by drought and saline intrusion in 2019 - 2020, and providing water filtration machines for three provinces: Ca Mau, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu, to prepare for drought and saline intrusion in 2023.

Additionally, Ms. Miller has focused on directing and promoting activities to enhance knowledge and skills on disaster prevention and climate change adaptation for children, families, and communities through creative communication strategies that attract millions of children and communities. These activities are age-appropriate and diverse in form, which is also UNICEF's strength.

Not only in the field of disaster prevention, but also in the field of sustainable rural development, under her direction, UNICEF has supported Vietnam in achieving clean water and sanitation targets in the National Target Program for New Rural Development for the period 2021 - 2025 through policy advocacy, mobilizing resources to improve clean water and sanitation at central and provincial levels to ensure access to clean and safe water for all, particularly prioritizing poor households, women, and children in remote and difficult areas.

Activities to enhance the resilience of people to climate change and emergency disaster situations; the application of modern, smart technologies at reasonable costs, creating opportunities for children and people to access clean water and sanitation, especially in schools. Communication and public advocacy to raise awareness and change the behavior of people and children so they have healthy habits and the need to use clean water and environmental sanitation, especially related to women and girls.

In the context of Vietnam facing many challenges from natural disasters and climate change, through UNICEF and individual efforts, there have been significant contributions to many fields, aligning with the directions of the Vietnamese Government, contributing effectively to disaster and climate change response.

In discussions with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on the morning of June 7, Ms. Lesley Miller acknowledged the cooperative relationship between MARD and UNICEF, as well as their strong commitment to improving the welfare of children in Vietnam. Over more than six years, the two sides have cooperated on various initiatives, including disaster risk reduction projects, water, and sanitation. Ms. Miller shared that experiences from major weather events such as the floods in Central Vietnam in 2020 and other emergencies demonstrate the importance of learning and improving from each experience to enhance readiness and response capabilities.

The UNICEF representative also appreciated the coordination of the provincial disaster management agencies and mentioned recent innovative projects such as Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). Ms. Miller hopes that the two sides will continue to work and coordinate effectively to promote projects that benefit the people.

Proposing UNICEF support in establishing management and operation procedures for humanitarian warehouse

Last month, after receiving the invitation from UNICEF, the MARD delegation led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep visited Sweden and Denmark. During the visit, the delegation met with Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden.

The delegation was received and met with Ms. Marie Jurisoo, Director, and research staff from the Stockholm Environment Institute. Both sides exchanged and shared issues related to climate, water resources, air quality, land use, governance, economics, gender, and health. They also highlighted current concerns and future directions for both parties. During the meeting, the Deputy Minister proposed that Sweden continue its cooperation in disaster prevention and control, especially in disaster forecasting and warning.

With climate change increasingly impacting the lives of Vietnamese people, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) hopes that the Stockholm Environment Institute will share research related to early action and transboundary flood management. Subsequently, the delegation worked with the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) under the Ministry of Defense to discuss potential cooperation and share the organizational structure, activities, and operations of both sides.

At the meeting, MARD and DEMA agreed to share Denmark's emergency management model and to strengthen bilateral cooperation in emergency relief. The final stop of the delegation's trip was the UNICEF Global Supply and Logistics Hub (UNICEF's emergency supply warehouse in Copenhagen).

Here, the MARD delegation observed and learned about the warehouse management system, including inventory management, procurement, and distribution of emergency supplies and equipment. Representatives from MARD listened to presentations on UNICEF's global emergency response efforts, including how UNICEF manages and responds to emergencies worldwide, particularly in emergency relief. Additionally, through meetings with representatives from UNICEF's Global Innovation Office, delegates discussed potential cooperation programs on climate change, disaster prevention, and environmental protection.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep requested that UNICEF share successful experiences and models of establishing humantarian warehouses in other countries for Vietnam to learn and apply. Additionally, he requested support in developing management and operational procedures for emergency warehouses to ensure that relief supplies are efficiently managed and reach affected people within 24 hours.