PM calls for greater efforts in mitigating damage from landslides and flash floods

In the document, the PM requested that ministers, chairpersons of People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces, and heads of relevant agencies fully grasp the situation and proactively take necessary measures within their authority.

In the immediate future, they must take a score of urgent steps which will ensure the safety of residents in areas which are highly prone to landslides and flash floods, including evacuating them and their assets to safe areas, providing them with food and necessities, and raising public awareness of these efforts, especially in remote, mountainous, border, island, and ethnic minority areas.

In the long term, localities must closely control urban planning and construction activities, especially in terms of houses and structures in areas which have sloping terrain, or are situated along rivers, streams, canals, coastal zones, and regions at risk of geological hazards.

They have therefore been urged to prohibit and strictly deal with violations related to the land use and management, forest protection, construction in protected and special-use forests, and illegal mineral extraction.

The PM ordered building projects whilst allocating resources for sustainable projects aimed at preventing and mitigating landslides.

The chairpersons of the provincial People's Committees must be held accountable to the PM and the law for any lack of responsibility for leadership and direction that leads to severe loss of lives or property for the people.

Specific tasks were also assigned to ministries, relevant agencies, and the press.

Since early July, landslides, flash floods, riverbank, and coastal erosion  have caused severe damage to human lives, assets, property, roads, and infrastructure facilities, particularly in the Central Highlands, as well as northern mountainous and Mekong Delta localities.