Natural disasters have caused total losses of some VND2.5 trillion (US$107.8 million) so far this year, heard attendees at a conference on natural disaster prevention and control in southern Vietnam, held in the Mekong Delta Province of Can Tho on July 26.

Local residents recover a roof after a serious landslide sinking their house along the O Mon River in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho on May 2018 

Nguyen Hiep, deputy head of the Disaster Response and Consequence Management Division under the Directorate for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that natural disasters, including floods, storms and landslides, had caused damages of up to VND60 trillion (US$2.58 billion) in 2017, two or three times higher than in previous years.

Hiep said over 8,100 houses were swept away while some 610,000 others were heavily flooded and their households were forced to relocate. Besides this, some 364,000 hectares of rice and vegetables, 60,400 hectares of fisheries and 76,500 fish-farming cages were damaged.

“These disasters also left 386 people dead or missing,” he said, adding that the intensity of natural disasters has grown increasingly frightening, occurring even in areas that were previously barely touched.

For example, Storm No.12, internationally known as Typhoon Damrey, which made landfall in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa last year, left 123 people dead or missing, while over 3,500 houses collapsed, some 134,000 houses were unroofed, and 70,900 fish-farming cages were severely damaged. The total damages amounted to VND22.68 trillion (US$978.8 million).

So far this year, according to Hiep, disasters have claimed the lives of 109 people, including those missing, have swept away 483 houses, have heavily flooded and damaged over 18,500 houses, and have destroyed more than 90,800 hectares of rice and vegetables. They have caused total losses of some VND2.5 trillion (US$107.8 million).

Nguyen Truong Son, deputy general director of the Directorate for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that heavy rains have led to serious flooding in northern Vietnam, causing severe injuries and damage to property.

Truong Quang Hoai Nam, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Can Tho City, said that between January and July this year, the Mekong Delta locality has witnessed 20 twisters, compared with two last year, which resulted in 30 houses collapsing and 156 others losing their roofs.

He added that 16 new zones prone to landslides have emerged, sinking 10 houses completely and 43 others partially.

The deputy head Nguyen Hiep asked local governments to urgently draw up natural disaster response plans, given their complicated developments.

He also asked local authorities to make plans for controlling boats and ships at sea and in coastal estuaries, as well as build and upgrade moorings, with the aim of minimizing human losses.

Besides this, localities should have plans in place to evacuate their residents, especially those living alongside estuaries and around the sea, in case of emerging disasters.

SGT