Vietnam, Japan discuss new approaches to reduce natural disaster risks
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on November 28 organised the 12th Vietnam-Japan disaster management cooperation dialogue, discussing new approaches to flood reduction using risk information.
Director of the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention Pham Duc Luan speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)🌃 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on November 28 organised the 12th Vietnam-Japan disaster management cooperation dialogue, discussing new approaches to flood reduction using risk information.
The dialogue brought together representatives from Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of northern and central provinces and cities in Vietnam.
Speaking at the event, Director of the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention Pham Duc Luan said that the dialogue provided an opportunity for Vietnamese and Japanese experts to exchange experiences, find solutions to minimise the risk of natural disasters, particularly floods and landslides.
Nguyen Xuan Tung, an officer from the department said that Vietnam is vulnerable to many kinds of natural disasters, especially floods which occur in all three regions across the country.
To minimise damage caused by floods, he pointed to the need to improve the legal framework and policies on natural disaster prevention and control, raise public awareness on natural disasters, strengthen community-based risk management, and enhance capacity of natural disaster prevention, control, search and rescue.
At the event, Mizushima Yusuke from Department of International Affairs, the MLIT’s Bureau of Water and Disaster Management said that in Japan, information on natural disaster risk is available on the ministry’s disaster risk map portal.
This map will show the frequency of floods and flood water levels. In addition, authorities guide people to move to areas with lower risk.
In Japan, it is mandatory to present a disaster risk map when conducting real estate transactions and provide information on the location of the relevant real estate. Authorities must develop evacuation plans.
According to him, the Japanese government is launching an initiative urging people to call and inform their families or relatives to promptly evacuate and respond to risk warnings in the areas where they live when a natural disaster happens.
Minamitani Taichi from the Department of Global Environment under the Japan International Cooperation Agency said that Vietnam and Japan have been coordinating in several flood management projects.
He noted that it is important to conduct flood risk assessment, develop integrated flood management planning, response plans, and an early warning system, and strengthen capacity-building.
Participants also proposed that Japan coordinate and support Vietnamese localities in building natural disaster maps, particularly floods and landslides/.
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