Hanoi (VNA) – Participants to a seminar in Hanoion April 16 sought ways to strengthen integrated flood risk management in thecontext of climate change in Vietnam.
The event took place within the framework of acooperation programme between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentand the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Tran Quang Hoai, deputy head of the Central SteeringCommittee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and head of the VietnamDisaster Management Authority, pointed out unexpected rains and floods inVietnam’s northern and north central regions over the past time.
Reservoirs would not sustain extreme rainfall that islikely to cause flooding and harm dyke systems, he said.
To cope with flood risks in climate change andensure the safety of the dyke systems, the Prime Minister has approved the climatechange adaptive integrated flood risk management project worth 275 million USD,using ADB loans.
The project will be carred out in nine cities andprovinces – Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ha Nam, NamDinh, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa that are located in the basins of Red, Thai Binhand Ma rivers.
It will support the government to achieve theoutcome: effective and sustainable flood risk management systems madeoperational and well maintained. There are three outputs: institutional andplanning capacities for flood risk management improved; dike systems inRed-Thai Binh and Ma rivers rehabilitated and upgraded; and flood forecastingand early warning systems for Red-Thai Binh and Ma rivers modernised.
ADB Deputy Country Director in Vietnam KeijuMitsuhashi said the Vietnamese government has paid attention to naturaldisaster prevention and control in general, and dyke system safety inparticular.
The ADB also has paid heed to disaster risk management, particularlyflood prevention and control, in Vietnam, he said, adding the bankpledges to help the VietnamDisaster Management Authority and the nine cities and provinces implement theproject./.