Conference assessing natural disaster situation in Central Highlands, Mekong Delta and the territory of Vietnam, proposing solutions to prevent and minimize damages
Also attending the conference were representatives from Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; representatives of leaders and experts from professional departments under Ministry of Science and Technology and units under VAST.
Overview of the conference
Opening remarks at the conference, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, Vice President of VAST emphasized: "Natural disasters, including geological accidents such as landslides, land cracks, subsidence, earthquakes, landslides, erosion of riverbanks and coasts have been causing great damage to people and property, greatly affecting economic activities, trade. In just July and August 2023, a series of landslides and cracks have occurred in the Central Highlands. In the Mekong River Delta, for many years, the situation of riverbank landslides and coastal erosion in the Mekong Delta has been developing very complicatedly and tends to increase in both scope and scale. The Prime Minister has repeatedly directly inspected and assessed on the site and given drastic instructions to minimize the impacts of natural disasters. Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has conducted pioneering research to assess the problem of natural disasters many years ago."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, Vice President of VAST, speaks at the conference
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Tuan Anh said that this conference is also an opportunity to evaluate and exchange on the achieved issues as well as proceed to propose groups of issues, breakthrough tasks on methods, technologies of detection, monitoring, warning and correction to minimize damage caused by natural disasters in the Mekong River Delta and Central Highlands particularly and throughout the territory of Vietnam in general.
The contents of scientific reports presented at the workshop include: Survey results to assess the current situation of landslides and cracks in the southern Central Highlands in Lam Dong and Dak Nong provinces; The situation of river and sea landslides in the Mekong River Delta – the situation, causes, solutions and problems for the coming period; Overview of the research situation of natural disasters in Vietnam, some recommendations and suggestions. In particular, scientific reports show that the problem of landslides in the Central Highlands, river and sea landslides in the Mekong River Delta is directly related to many natural factors such as topography, geomorphology, hydrodynamic hydrometeorology, hydrometeorology and climate change. There is also the factor of human influence in civil activities.
Dr. Nguyen Hoang Giang, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology speaks at the conference
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Hoang Giang said that Ministry of Science and Technology always accompanies scientists in researching natural disasters. Recently, before the developments of landslides and cracks in the Central Highlands, the Academy has cooperated with Ministry of Science and Technology to organize a survey team, preliminarily assess the current status and causes, as a basis for further proposals and orientations. In addition to reporting on the results achieved by the survey team, the exchange report on the results achieved in disaster research, Ministry of Science and Technology wishes to receive many comments and proposals from ministries, branches and agencies in detection, monitoring, warning and correction in order to minimize damages caused by natural disasters in the delta by the Mekong River Delta and the Central Highlands in particular and throughout the territory of Vietnam in general.
Scientists report at the conference
Exchange and discussion at the conference
At the conference, delegates exchanged and discussed the situation and causes leading to a series of landslides and cracks in the southern Central Highlands, as well as the situation of river and sea landslides in the Mekong Delta River and other natural disasters in Vietnam. Delegates made a number of recommendations as well as proposed solutions to solve urgent issues that need to be implemented in the coming time such as: measures to handle the locations of landslides, landslides, cracks to minimize disaster damage; pay attention to technical and technological solutions for monitoring and early warning of landslides and land cracks by area and by point; strengthen coordination between local departments and scientific organizations in research, identification and handling of accidents; A holistic, comprehensive, long-term approach to disaster research is needed. The organization of disaster studies should follow an approach from general to detailed, from the national scale, to the region, district, residential area, works with different approaches, methods and objectives corresponding to each scale; there should be investment in scientific and technological research for natural disasters; early interdisciplinary, in-depth and comprehensive coordinated missions/studies on fatal accidents; bringing new applications of space technology and surveillance technology into research.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Tuan Anh, Vice President of VAST and Dr. Nguyen Hoang Giang, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology chair the conference
At the conclusion of the conference, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Hoang Giang thanked the co-organization of the conference of VAST as well as the active participation of representatives of ministries, branches and scientists. Deputy Minister acknowledged and highly appreciated the recommendations and proposals of the participants of the conference, and asked units of Ministry, Office of Programs, Managing Board of KC.08 and KC.09 to consult and proactively propose specific tasks on natural pregnancy prevention for early implementation in the coming period, contribute to minimizing damages caused by natural disasters, contributing to the successful implementation of resolutions of the Central Committee on socio-economic development of key regions.
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version