Directive No. 13/2006/CT-TTg on flood and storm prevention and rescue work, disaster mitigation in 2006

DIRECTIVE

ON THE WORK OF PREVENTING AND COMBATING FLOODS, STORMS, AND SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS TO MITIGATE NATURAL DISASTERS IN 20066

In 2005, there were nine storms and four tropical depressions appearing in the East Sea, of which six storms directly affected our country. Notably, Storm No. 7 had wind speeds reaching Category 11 and 12, with gusts over Category 12, coinciding with high tidal water levels causing breaches in sea dikes in several northern provinces; flash floods and landslides in mountainous provinces caused significant losses of life and property for both the people and the State.

In 2005, eleven flood waves occurred on rivers in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands. An unusual phenomenon was that some major and particularly severe floods occurred late in mid-December, which is typically the end of the annual rainy season.

In early 2006, the amount of rainfall in the Red River Delta and North-Central regions was significantly lower than the long-term average, leading to widespread water shortages and drought conditions, severely impacting the production of the Winter-Spring crop in 2005-2006. The water level in the Red and Thai Binh River systems dropped to its lowest point in the past 100 years.

The weather, climate, hydrology, and flood, storm, and natural disaster situations continue to evolve in a complex, abnormal, and contrary manner to regular patterns. To proactively and effectively implement comprehensive measures in the work of preventing and combating floods and storms and conducting search and rescue operations in 2006, thereby minimizing potential losses, the Prime Minister issues directives to ministries, sectors, agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities:

1. Organize the dissemination and effective implementation of tasks assigned in Decree No. 08/2006/NĐ-CP January 16, 2006 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Preventing and Combating Floods and Storms amended and supplemented on August 24, 2000; Decision No. 63/2002/QĐ-TTg May 20, 2002 of the Prime Minister on the work of preventing and combating floods and storms and mitigating natural disasters; Decision No. 46/2006/QĐ-TTg February 28, 2006 of the Prime Minister approving the Master Plan for Search and Rescue Operations until 2005, with a vision to 2020, and other guiding documents of the Government and the Prime Minister on the work of preventing and combating floods and storms and search and rescue operations.

2. Evaluate and draw lessons from the work of preventing and combating floods and storms and conducting search and rescue operations in 2005 and previous years. On this basis, review their own flood prevention, storm prevention, and search and rescue plans to ensure they are closely aligned with reality and the development of each type of natural disaster, incident, and accident. Develop plans to inspect, urge, and direct the effective implementation of flood prevention, storm prevention, and search and rescue operations in 2006 within their respective ministries, sectors, and localities, thereby minimizing losses caused by natural disasters and accidents.

3. Promptly consolidate and improve the structure of the Flood Prevention, Storm Prevention, and Search and Rescue Command at all levels and sectors. Enhance the command and inspection capabilities of the command bodies to ensure unity from the central to local levels and units, while also ensuring close coordination in command and management to fully leverage collective strength for proactive handling and timely response to each situation.

4. Provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees shall be responsible for:

- Directing the completion of dike repair plans before the rainy season according to regulations; inspecting and evaluating the quality of each dike section to promptly address dike, embankment, sluice, and flood and storm prevention facility incidents; simultaneously reviewing specific dike protection and rescue plans for each river and coastal dike section and key areas within their jurisdiction.

Assign responsibilities and decentralize state management of flood and storm prevention and search and rescue operations to district and commune levels, and relevant agencies and units; direct the organization of dike protection forces, flood and storm prevention, and search and rescue operations at the local level;

- Inspect, review, and specifically determine the quantity and types of equipment and materials for flood and storm prevention and essential equipment and means for search and rescue operations currently available in their jurisdiction; based on this, develop plans to supplement them to ensure sufficient quantities as required to mobilize them promptly when natural disasters or incidents occur;

- Develop specific plans for organizing the evacuation and protection of residents in deep-flooded areas, riverbanks, coastal areas, and hazardous landslide-prone areas to safe locations; take measures to ensure the safety of ships and boats during storms and tropical depressions;

- Proactively utilize local budgets and other sources of funding as prescribed to prevent, combat, and mitigate the aftermath of storms and floods, quickly stabilizing production and living conditions for the people; at the same time, pay attention to supporting and resolutely not allowing anyone in disaster-stricken areas to go hungry.

For areas frequently affected by flash floods and landslides, it is necessary to do a good job of warning and promptly informing counties, communes, and villages about the situation so that the people can know and respond proactively; develop specific plans for evacuating people and assets to safe locations, resolutely minimizing losses of life.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shall be responsible for proactively mobilizing local resources as prescribed to effectively carry out flood and storm prevention, search and rescue operations, and mitigation of the aftermath of natural disasters and accidents within their jurisdiction.

5. The Central Office for Flood and Storm Prevention shall be responsible for regularly inspecting, urging, and directing ministries, sectors, and localities to effectively implement the work of preventing and combating floods and storms and mitigating natural disasters; at the same time, compile the situation and propose measures to the Prime Minister to deal with and mitigate the aftermath of floods and storms to minimize losses caused by natural disasters.

6. The National Committee for Search and Rescue shall be responsible for directing and implementing Decision No. 46/2006/QĐ-TTg February 28, 2006 of the Prime Minister approving the Master Plan for Search and Rescue Operations until 2005, with a vision to 2020.

- In the interim, in 2006, direct, inspect, urge, and guide ministries, sectors, localities to review the types, means, and essential materials for search and rescue currently available, on this basis develop plans to adjust and supplement in a timely manner to meet the requirements and tasks assigned; at the same time direct and organize the compilation of lists of types, means, and equipment to be submitted to competent authorities for approval to direct the implementation of production and procurement as prescribed.

- Direct the review of search and rescue plans and schemes to ensure they are practical for each region and area and reflect the characteristics of typhoon, flood, accident developments to have proactive measures to prevent and respond to all situations; coordinate well with forces, means of ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals to implement search and rescue regulations and handle aftermaths of accidents.

- Closely cooperate with the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, the Ministry of National Defense, and related agencies in directing and managing flood and storm prevention and control and search and rescue operations in 2006 promptly and effectively. Summarize the situation and propose to the Prime Minister to decide on measures regarding search and rescue to minimize losses of people and property of the people and the State.

7. The Ministry of National Defense shall review and build plans for the deployment and mobilization of forces and means necessary for each region and locality to participate in emergency response and handling of urgent situations involving floods, storms, and search and rescue operations, ensuring that the military is the main force in these operations.

Direct the Border Guard Force, Vietnam Coast Guard, and other specialized forces to strengthen inspections and strictly handle vessels operating at sea in violation of regulations, passenger-carrying vessels not meeting standards or exceeding permitted load limits, and those failing to ensure maritime safety.

Direct the implementation of typhoon and tropical depression warnings through signal flares at coastal and island points as prescribed.

8. The Ministry of Public Security shall direct its forces, coordinate with local authorities and relevant ministries and sectors to have plans to ensure security and social order when accidents, storms, floods, natural disasters occur; prepare forces and means to participate in rescue operations promptly and effectively.

9. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall be responsible for:

- Direct and urge localities to complete dike repair work before the 2006 rainy season and typhoon season;

- Inspect and take measures to ensure the safety of dikes, embankments, sluices, water storage reservoirs, and flood prevention and control works; ensure the construction of water conservancy projects according to flood-overcoming schedules;

Direct and coordinate with localities frequently affected by storms, floods, and natural disasters to adjust agricultural production structures and cropping patterns appropriately to avoid natural disasters. At the same time, do a good job in forest protection and fire prevention.

10. The Ministry of Fisheries shall be responsible for directing the assurance of safety for people and fishing vessels operating on rivers, seas, and at places where ships anchor to avoid typhoons and tropical depressions; take measures to protect production and aquaculture facilities to minimize damage caused by floods and storms.

Particularly, strengthen inspections and handling of fishing vessels operating without adequate safety equipment as required. At the same time, direct and coordinate with localities to organize publicity and dissemination of knowledge and experience in proactively preventing and avoiding typhoons among fishermen.

11. The Ministry of Transport shall be responsible for:

- Prepare sufficient forces, means, and materials to participate in emergency response and handling when bridges, roads, ports, and other transportation works are damaged, ensuring smooth traffic during the rainy and typhoon seasons, especially major and important transportation routes;

- Develop plans to inspect and urge the implementation of regulations on management, inspection, registration of vessels and necessary equipment to ensure safety for people and means;

- Coordinate with related ministries, sectors, and localities to participate in handling and protecting dike and dam works, flood prevention and control works, and search and rescue operations as directed by the Prime Minister and competent state agencies.

12. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment based on Decision No. 307/2005/QĐ-TTg dated November 25, 2005 of the Prime Minister on the Regulation on Tropical Depression, Typhoon, and Flood Warning, direct functional agencies to organize information collection and processing, implement timely warnings, forecasts, and notifications about tropical depressions, typhoons, and floods to ministries, sectors, localities, and the public to proactively respond. Especially, must do a good job in flash flood and landslide warning for mountainous, midland provinces and areas frequently affected by flash floods and landslides to minimize losses, particularly human losses.

13. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall be responsible for closely monitoring the development of floods, typhoons, and natural disasters to grasp the situation of food shortages in disaster-stricken areas; summarize the situation, coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to propose timely relief measures to the Prime Minister to stabilize the lives of the people, especially ensuring that no one in disaster-stricken areas suffers from food shortages. At the same time, direct, guide, and inspect relief implementation in localities to ensure compliance with regulations, and prevent waste and corruption.

14. The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead, coordinate with related agencies: the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, the National Search and Rescue Commission, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and related ministries and sectors to monitor and summarize losses caused by floods and storms, propose appropriate support levels, and submit to the Prime Minister for decision.

15. During the rainy and storm seasons, the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, Vietnam News Agency, and other mass media organizations shall closely monitor the situation and developments of natural disasters, storms, and floods, and cooperate closely with the National Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Center to promptly report information about floods, storms, natural disasters, and the guidance of the Prime Minister, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, and the National Search and Rescue Committee so that ministries, sectors, localities, and the people are aware and can take proactive measures to prevent and control these events.

16. Other ministries and sectors, based on their assigned functions and tasks, shall be responsible for guiding and effectively carrying out flood and storm prevention and control work and search and rescue operations within their respective ministries, sectors, and localities to minimize losses caused by natural disasters and accidents. They shall prepare forces, means, and necessary materials in readiness to participate in flood and storm prevention and control and search and rescue operations according to the directives of the Prime Minister, the Head of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, and the Chairman of the National Search and Rescue Committee.

Based on the provisions of laws on flood and storm prevention and control, search and rescue operations, assigned functions and tasks, and the contents of this Directive, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of agencies under the Government, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees shall issue Directives on flood and storm prevention and control and search and rescue operations within their respective ministries, sectors, and localities, ensuring practicality and minimizing losses caused by natural disasters and accidents.

17. The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and the National Search and Rescue Committee shall be responsible for monitoring and inspecting the implementation by ministries, sectors, and localities of flood and storm prevention and control and search and rescue operations, and regularly reporting the results to the Prime Minister.