to create a society safe from natural disasters and aim towards national sustainable development.

A reservoir in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak dried up last year due to prolonged drought.

In a letter sent to citizens and soldiers to mark the 74th celebration of the Traditional Day on Natural Disaster Prevention (May 22, 1946 – May 22, 2020), the leader said 2019 and the first months of 2020 witnessed complex, extreme and abnormal weather developments across the country, with prolonged droughts and severe saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, central and Central Highlands regions as well as typhoons, floods, thunderstorms and hail in northern provinces.

“We have been proactive in forecasting, issuing early warning and taking a series of prevention and control measures to timely response to climate change, minimising human and property losses for socio-economic development.”

That was thanks to the solidarity of the whole political system, the direction of the State, the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and participation of authorities, armed forces and people, he said.

On the occasion of the anniversary, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, the top leader praised organisations and individuals for natural disaster prevention, control and response work in 2019.

Under the impacts of climate change, natural disasters are predicted to have more complex developments, affecting people's lives, properties and socio-economic growth, he said.

He urged Party committees, local authorities and natural disaster prevention and control agencies at all levels, ministries, branches, armed forces and people of the whole country to uphold a spirit of solidarity and implement the Party Secretariat’s resolution on upholding Party’s leadership in natural disaster prevention and control. VNS

Vietnam needs more active prevention of natural disasters instead of passive response

Tran Quang Hoai, general director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control and deputy head of the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention

Vietnam should be proactive in coping with natural disasters

As a country highly exposed to droughts, floods and landslides, Vietnam needs more active prevention instead of just a passive response.