Decision No. 46/2014/QD-TTg on forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters

Pursuant to …;

Provisions on forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters

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Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control dated June 19, 2013;

Based on Decree No. 66/2014/NĐ-CP dated July 4, 2014 detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Prevention and Response to Natural Disasters;

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,

The Prime Minister issues this Decision to provide for forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Decision provides for forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters to serve activities related to prevention, response, and mitigation of the consequences of natural disasters in Vietnam.

Article 2. Applicability

This Decision applies to ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals engaged in forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters; organizations, households, and individuals involved in activities related to forecasting, warning, and disseminating information about natural disasters.

Article 3. Types of natural disasters subject to forecasting, warning, and dissemination

1. Typhoons and tropical depressions active in the East Sea area west of the 120° East meridian, north of the 05° North parallel, and south of the 23° North parallel (hereinafter referred to as the South China Sea, Annex I of this Decision) and on the mainland territory of Vietnam.

2. Typhoons and tropical depressions active outside the South China Sea area but with the potential to move into the South China Sea within 24 to 48 hours.

3. Floods on rivers within the territory of Vietnam and transboundary rivers (Annex II and Annex III of this Decision).

4. Earthquakes with magnitudes (M) of 3.5 or higher (on the Richter scale or equivalent) affecting Vietnam.

5. Earthquakes with magnitudes over 6.5 (on the Richter scale or equivalent) occurring at sea with the potential to cause tsunamis affecting Vietnam.

6. Tsunamis caused by earthquakes in distant offshore areas with the potential to affect Vietnam.

7. Natural disasters such as tornadoes, lightning, heavy rain, flash floods, flooding, landslides due to rain and runoff, land subsidence due to rain and runoff, tidal surges, saline intrusion, heatwaves, droughts, cold waves, hailstorms, frost, and other types of natural disasters.

Article 4. Explanation of concepts and terms used in this Decision

1. Tropical cyclone is a swirling wind region (diameter can reach hundreds of kilometers) formed over tropical seas, with winds blowing inward toward the center in a counterclockwise direction, atmospheric pressure (air pressure) inside the tropical cyclone being lower than surrounding areas, accompanied by rain, sometimes with thunderstorms, squalls, and tornadoes.

2. Eye of the tropical cyclone is the area with the lowest air pressure value in the tropical cyclone, where converging wind streams from around blow inward.

3. Maximum wind speed in the tropical cyclone is the highest average wind speed determined over a two-minute observation period (measured in Beaufort scale, Annex IV of this Decision).

4. Gusts are sudden increases in wind speed lasting up to two seconds.

5. Tropical depression is a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speeds ranging from Force 6 to Force 7 and may include gusts (Annex IV of this Decision).

6. Typhoon is a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speeds of Force 8 or higher and may include gusts. A typhoon with maximum wind speeds from Force 10 to Force 11 is called a strong typhoon, from Force 12 to Force 15 is called a very strong typhoon, and Force 16 or higher is called a super typhoon (Annex IV of this Decision).

7. Landfall of a typhoon or tropical depression occurs when the eye of the typhoon or tropical depression has moved onto land.

8. Dissipation of a typhoon or tropical depression occurs when it weakens to a low-pressure area with maximum wind speeds below Force 6.

9. Strong wind zone caused by the circulation of a typhoon or tropical depression is an area with wind speeds of Force 6 or higher.

10. Directly affected area by a typhoon or tropical depression is an area experiencing poor weather conditions, including rain and strong winds of Force 6 or higher caused by the typhoon or tropical depression.

11. Typhoon forecast error is the difference between the predicted position of the typhoon's center and the actual position, and between the predicted maximum wind force and the actual maximum wind force at the time of prediction.

12. Storm surge is the phenomenon of seawater rising above normal high tide levels due to the influence of a typhoon.

13. Tornado is a swirling wind stream with wind speeds equivalent to those of a typhoon but formed and dissipated quickly, with a narrow range of activity from several kilometers² to several tens of kilometers².

14. Lightning is the electrical discharge phenomenon within clouds, between clouds, or between clouds and the ground.

15. Heavy rain is a rainfall event with a total amount exceeding 50 mm in 24 hours, where rainfall totaling from 51 mm to 100 mm in 24 hours is considered heavy rain, and rainfall exceeding 100 mm in 24 hours is considered extremely heavy rain.

16. Flash flood is a sudden flood occurring in small river basins in mountainous areas, characterized by rapid and intense flow, often accompanied by mud and rocks, with quick rise and fall, causing significant destruction.

17. Flooding is the phenomenon of land being submerged under water due to the influence of heavy rain, floods, high tides, or storm surges.

18. Landslide is the phenomenon of soil sliding, slipping, or collapsing due to the impact of rain, floods, or runoff.

19. Subsidence is the phenomenon of soil sinking lower than surrounding areas due to the influence of rain, floods, or runoff.

20. Saline intrusion is the phenomenon of salty water with a salinity concentration of 4‰ intruding deeply into inland areas during high tides, storm surges, or depletion of fresh water sources.

21. Heatwave is a special type of summer weather characterized by daily maximum temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius and relative humidity below 65%.

22. Drought is a severe water shortage occurring over a prolonged period due to lack of rainfall and depletion of water sources.

23. Cold wave is a special type of winter weather occurring in northern Vietnam characterized by daily average temperatures dropping below 13 degrees Celsius.

24. Hailstorm is rain in the form of ice pellets or ice grains of varying sizes and shapes, occurring briefly, often accompanied by thunderstorms, sometimes with strong winds.

25. Frost is the phenomenon of water vapor freezing into small white particles resembling salt directly on the ground, plant surfaces, or other objects. Frost typically forms on calm, clear nights in early winter in northern Vietnam.

26. Flood is the phenomenon of river water levels rising within a specific timeframe and then receding. Floods are classified as follows:

a) Minor flood is a flood with peak water levels lower than the long-term average peak level.

b) Moderate flood is a flood with peak water levels equal to the long-term average peak level.

c) A large flood is a flood with a peak water level higher than the average annual peak water level.

d) An exceptionally large flood is a flood with a peak water level rarely seen during the observation period.

đ) A historical flood is a flood with the highest peak water level recorded in the observation data series or determined through investigation and survey.

27. An abnormal flood is a flood that occurs before or after the flood season defined in Clause 32 of this Article or a flood formed due to reservoir discharge, dam breach, dam overflow, or levee breach.

28. The flood peak is the highest water level in a flood at a measurement station. The annual flood peak is the highest flood peak observed in a year. The long-term average flood peak is the arithmetic mean of the annual flood peaks during the observation period.

29. The flood range is the difference in water level between the flood peak and the water level immediately before the flood rise.

30. The flood rate of change is the variation in flood water level over a unit of time.

31. Flood forecast error is the discrepancy between the forecasted water level or flow rate and the actual value at the forecasted time point.

32. The flood season is a continuous period within a year when floods typically occur, defined as follows:

a) On rivers in the Northern Region, from June 15 to October 15;

b) On rivers from Thanh Hoa Province to Ha Tinh Province, from July 15 to November 15;

c) On rivers from Quang Binh Province to Ninh Thuan Province, from September 1 to December 15;

d) On rivers in Binh Thuan Province, southern provinces, and the Central Highlands, from June 15 to November 30.

33. Natural disaster risk is the damage that natural disasters may cause to people, property, environment, living conditions, and socio-economic activities.

34. Natural disaster risk level is the classification of the degree of damage that natural disasters may cause to people, property, environment, living conditions, and socio-economic activities.

35. A state of emergency due to natural disasters is a situation where natural disasters specified in Article 3 of this Decision reach a natural disaster risk level 5, potentially causing a catastrophe with severe loss of life, property, infrastructure, and ecological environment.

36. A tsunami is a series of long-period ocean waves (from several minutes to hours), spreading at high speed (up to 800 km/h). Upon reaching the shore, depending on the depth of the sea and coastal topography, tsunamis can reach heights of tens of meters, inundating inland areas and causing disasters.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions (including underwater nuclear tests), landslides, and collisions with asteroids... occurring in the sea all have the potential to cause tsunamis. Maps of regions capable of generating earthquakes that could cause tsunamis affecting Vietnam are shown in Appendix XII of this Decision.

37. The directly affected tsunami zone is the shallow coastal sea area and land within the range that tsunamis can spread to. Depending on the height of the terrain, tsunamis can directly affect inland areas several kilometers from the coast.

38. An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust in the form of seismic waves, which can cause deformation of the surface, destruction of buildings, structures, property, and human lives.

39. The epicenter is the source location of an earthquake.

40. The earthquake epicentral point is the vertical projection of the epicenter onto the Earth's surface.

41. The depth of the epicenter is the distance from the epicenter to the epicentral point.

42. The surface intensity of seismic shaking (denoted I) is a quantity representing the ability of an earthquake to cause shaking on the ground and is assessed based on its impact on buildings, structures, the ground, objects, and people. In this Decision, surface intensity is evaluated according to the MSK-64 scale comprising 12 levels (Appendix IX of this Decision).

The relationship between earthquake magnitude, type, intensity of shaking, effects, and annual frequency worldwide is described in Appendix X. Maps of earthquake zones in Vietnam and adjacent areas are shown in Appendix XI of this Decision.

43. Earthquake magnitude (denoted M) is a characteristic quantity representing the amount of energy released and transmitted into space in the form of elastic waves by an earthquake. In this Decision, earthquake magnitude uses the moment magnitude scale. Earthquakes are classified into types: Microearthquakes (M<2.0), weak earthquakes (2.0≤M≤3.9), light earthquakes (4.0≤M≤4.9), moderate earthquakes (5.0≤M≤5.9), strong earthquakes (6.0≤M≤6.9), very strong earthquakes (7.0≤M≤7.9), and destructive earthquakes (M≥8.0).

Article 5. Agencies and organizations responsible for issuing weather forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters

1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

a) The Central Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting Center under the National Meteorological and Hydrological Center shall be responsible for issuing weather forecast and warning bulletins on typhoons, tropical depressions, floods, and other types of natural disasters specified in Clause 7, Article 3 of this Decision throughout the country;

b) Regional Meteorological and Hydrological Stations, Provincial Meteorological and Hydrological Stations under the National Meteorological and Hydrological Center shall be responsible for issuing weather forecast and warning bulletins on floods on rivers specified in Appendix III and other types of natural disasters specified in Clause 7, Article 3 of this Decision within their respective regions and provinces.

2. Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

The Institute of Geophysics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology shall be responsible for issuing earthquake bulletins and tsunami warnings as specified in Clauses 4, 5, and 6, Article 3 of this Decision.

Article 6. Use of Weather Forecast and Warning Bulletins on Natural Disasters

1. Weather forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters issued by agencies and organizations as stipulated in Article 5 are official bulletins to be used in directing and managing preventive, response, and recovery activities from natural disasters in Vietnam.

2. Regional Meteorological and Hydrological Stations, Provincial Meteorological and Hydrological Stations shall be responsible for detailing weather forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters issued by the Central Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting Center to suit local requirements for prevention, response, and recovery from natural disasters.

Article 7. Agencies and Organizations Responsible for Transmitting and Broadcasting Weather Forecast and Warning Bulletins on Natural Disasters

1. Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam Radio.

2. Provincial and Central City Radio and Television Stations.

3. Agencies managing natural disaster information transmission systems.

Chapter II

WEATHER FORECAST AND WARNING ON NATURAL DISASTERS

Section 1

WEATHER FORECAST AND WARNING ON TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS AND TYPHOONS

Article 8. Issuance of Tropical Depression Weather Forecast and Warning Bulletins

1. Tropical Depression Bulletin near the South China Sea

A tropical depression bulletin near the South China Sea shall be issued when a tropical depression is operating outside the South China Sea and has the potential to move into the South China Sea within 24 to 48 hours.

2. Tropical Depression Bulletin over the South China Sea

A tropical depression bulletin over the South China Sea shall be issued when a tropical depression is operating over the South China Sea and meets one of the following conditions:

a) The center of the tropical depression is more than 500 kilometers away from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam;

b) The center of the tropical depression is between 300 and 500 kilometers away from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam and does not have the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 24 hours.

3. Tropical Depression Bulletin Near the Coast

A tropical depression bulletin near the coast shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The center of the tropical depression is less than 300 kilometers away from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam;

b) The center of the tropical depression is between 300 and 500 kilometers away from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam but has the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 24 hours.

4. Tropical Depression Bulletin Overland

A tropical depression bulletin overland shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The center of the tropical depression has made landfall;

b) A typhoon has made landfall and weakened to become a tropical depression.

5. Final Tropical Depression Bulletin

A final tropical depression bulletin shall be issued when the tropical depression has dissipated; it no longer poses a direct threat or has moved out of the territory of Vietnam.

Article 9. Issuance of tropical cyclone forecast and warning bulletins

1. Tropical cyclone bulletin near the East Sea

A tropical cyclone bulletin near the East Sea shall be issued when a tropical cyclone is operating outside the East Sea and has the potential to move into the East Sea within the next 48 hours.

2. Tropical cyclone bulletin on the East Sea

A tropical cyclone bulletin on the East Sea shall be issued when a tropical cyclone is operating on the East Sea and meets one of the following conditions:

a) The center of the tropical cyclone is more than 1,000 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam;

b) The center of the tropical cyclone is between 500 and 1,000 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam and does not have the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 48 hours.

3. Tropical cyclone bulletin near the coast

A tropical cyclone bulletin near the coast shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The center of the tropical cyclone is between 500 and 1,000 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam and has the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 48 hours;

b) The center of the tropical cyclone is between 300 and less than 500 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam and does not have the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 48 hours.

4. Urgent tropical cyclone bulletin

An urgent tropical cyclone bulletin shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The center of the tropical cyclone is less than 300 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam;

b) The center of the tropical cyclone is between 300 and 500 kilometers from the nearest point on the mainland coast of Vietnam and has the potential to move towards the mainland of Vietnam within the next 48 hours.

5. Tropical cyclone bulletin on land

A tropical cyclone bulletin on land shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The center of the tropical cyclone has moved onto land in Vietnam and the strongest wind speed remains at Force 8 or higher;

b) The center of the tropical cyclone has made landfall in another country but the strongest wind speed remains at Force 8 or higher and has the potential to directly affect Vietnam within the next 48 hours.

6. Final tropical cyclone bulletin

A final tropical cyclone bulletin shall be issued when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The tropical cyclone has dissipated;

b) The tropical cyclone has made landfall in another country or left territorial waters and no longer has the potential to directly affect Vietnam;

c) The tropical cyclone has moved out of the East Sea and does not have the potential to return to the East Sea.

Article 10. Content of tropical depression forecast and warning bulletins

1. Title of the tropical depression bulletin: Shall be recorded according to the provisions of Article 8 of this Decision.

2. Summary information about the current status of the tropical depression at the most recent time

a) Development over the past 24 hours;

b) Time: Reported in whole hours, based on Hanoi time;

c) Position of the center of the tropical depression: Determined by longitude and latitude coordinates with accuracy to one-tenth of a degree; in cases where the position of the center of the tropical depression cannot be determined at a specific coordinate point, the position of the center of the tropical depression shall be determined within a square grid, each side being one (01) degree of longitude and latitude;

d) The closest distance from the center of the tropical depression to one of the following locations: Islands or island groups in the East Sea; a specific place name on the mainland of Vietnam or neighboring countries;

đ) Strength of the tropical depression: Reported by Beaufort scale for the strongest wind and gusts within the tropical depression;

c) Direction of movement of the tropical depression: Determined by one of the sixteen directions: North, Northeast-North, Northeast, East-Northeast, East, Southeast-East, Southeast, South-Southeast, South, Southwest-South, Southwest, West-Southwest, West, Northwest-West, Northwest, North-Northwest;

g) Speed of movement: Reported in kilometers per hour;

h) When the tropical depression has directly affected islands or the mainland, information on observed data from stations in the affected area shall be provided.

3. Forecast of the development of the tropical depression over the next 24 hours

a) Forecast of the direction and speed of movement of the tropical depression;

b) Predicted position of the tropical depression;

c) The closest distance from the center of the tropical depression to one of the following locations: Islands or island groups in the East Sea; a specific place name on the mainland of Vietnam or neighboring countries;

d) Development of the strength of the tropical depression;

đ) Map of the forecast track of the tropical depression, radius of strong winds, error or 70% probability circle of the center of the tropical depression that may enter;

4. Forecast of the impact of the tropical depression

a) For the tropical depression bulletin near the East Sea: Forecast the time the center of the tropical depression will enter the East Sea, the impact of the tropical depression on sea areas, islands, or island groups; possibility of causing strong winds and large waves;

b) For the tropical depression bulletin on the East Sea: Forecast the impact of the tropical depression on sea areas, islands, or island groups; possibility of causing strong winds and large waves;

c) For the tropical depression bulletin near the coast: Forecast the direct impact area of the tropical depression; expected landing time and area of the tropical depression; range of influence of strong winds at Force 6 and Force 7; heavy rain; wave height; possibility of storm surge and other natural disasters in the next 12 and 24 hours;

d) For the tropical depression bulletin on land and the final tropical depression bulletin: Forecast the directly affected area by the tropical depression; possibility of heavy rain and other natural disasters.

5. Level of disaster risk caused by the tropical depression as prescribed by the Prime Minister.

6. Time of issuance of the next bulletin.

Article 11. Content of typhoon forecast and warning information

1. Typhoon bulletin title: Shall be recorded according to the provisions of Article 9 of this Decision, accompanied by the identification number of the typhoon determined in the order of typhoons operating in the South China Sea in the year. Identification numbers shall not be assigned to typhoons near the South China Sea.

2. Summary information on the current status of the typhoon at the nearest time point

a) Development over the past 24 hours;

b) Time: Reported in whole hours, based on Hanoi time;

c) Position of the typhoon center: Determined by longitude and latitude coordinates with accuracy up to 1/10 degree;

d) Nearest distance from the position of the typhoon center to one of the following locations: Islands or island groups in the South China Sea; a specific location on the mainland of Vietnam or neighboring countries;

đ) Strength of the typhoon: Reported by Beaufort scale for the strongest wind and gusts within the typhoon;

e) Direction of typhoon movement: Determined by one of the sixteen directions: North, Northeast-North, Northeast, East-Northeast, East, East-Southeast, Southeast, South-Southeast, South, South-Southwest, Southwest, West-Southwest, West, Northwest-West, Northwest, North-Northwest;

g) Speed of movement: Reported in kilometers per hour;

h) When the typhoon has directly affected islands or the mainland, information on observed data at stations in the affected area shall be provided.

3. Forecast of typhoon development

a) Forecast of typhoon development over the next 24 hours and up to 48 hours with factors specified in Clause 2 of this Article;

b) Warning about the direction, speed of movement, and strength of the typhoon during the period from 48 hours to 72 hours ahead;

c) Map of the typhoon track forecast, radius of strong winds, error or 70% probability circle of the typhoon center that may enter.

4. Forecast of typhoon impact

a) For typhoon bulletins near the South China Sea: Forecast the time when the typhoon center enters the South China Sea and the impact of the typhoon circulation on sea areas, islands, or island groups; possibility of causing strong winds and large waves;

b) For typhoon bulletins in the South China Sea: Forecast the impact of the typhoon circulation on sea areas, islands, or island groups; possibility of causing strong winds and large waves; specifically inform about the scope of influence of strong typhoon winds and large waves, sea conditions in the next 24 hours and up to 48 hours; warning up to 72 hours ahead;

c) For typhoon bulletins near the coast: Forecast the impact of the typhoon circulation on sea areas, islands, or island groups; predict the timeframe and region of landfall of the typhoon; scope of influence of strong typhoon winds, heavy rain, wave height, possibility of storm surge and other types of natural disasters in the next 24 hours and up to 48 hours; warning up to 72 hours ahead;

d) For urgent typhoon bulletins: Forecast the impact of the typhoon circulation on sea areas, islands, or island groups; forecast the time and region of landfall of the typhoon; scope of influence of strong typhoon winds, heavy rain, wave height, possibility of storm surge and other types of natural disasters in the next 12 hours, 24 hours and up to 48 hours;

đ) For typhoon bulletins on the mainland and final typhoon bulletins: Forecast the regions directly affected by the typhoon; forecast and warn of heavy rain and other types of natural disasters caused by the typhoon circulation.

5. Level of natural disaster risk due to typhoons as prescribed by the Government Prime Minister.

6. Time of issuance of the next bulletin.

Article 12. Frequency and timing of issuance of tropical depression forecast and warning bulletins, typhoon bulletins

1. Tropical depression bulletins near the South China Sea: Issued three times daily at 09:00, 14:30, and 21:00.

2. Typhoon bulletins near the South China Sea, tropical depression bulletins in the South China Sea

a) Issued four main bulletins daily at 02:30, 09:00, 14:30, and 21:00;

b) In cases where tropical depressions in the South China Sea develop complexly, in addition to the four main bulletins, additional bulletins need to be issued between the main bulletins.

3. Tropical depression bulletins near the coast, tropical depression bulletins on the mainland, typhoon bulletins in the South China Sea, typhoon bulletins near the coast, urgent typhoon bulletins, typhoon bulletins on the mainland

a) Issued eight main bulletins daily at 02:30, 05:00, 09:00, 11:00, 14:30, 17:00, 21:00, and 23:00;

b) During periods with tropical depression bulletins near the coast, urgent typhoon bulletins, and in cases where tropical depressions and typhoons develop complexly, in addition to the eight main bulletins, additional bulletins need to be issued between the main bulletins.

Section 2

FORECAST AND WARNING OF FLOODS

Article 13. Issuance of flood forecast and warning bulletins

1. Flood warning bulletin

A flood warning bulletin shall be issued when heavy or very heavy rainfall is detected that has the potential to cause floods, or when river water levels have the potential to reach level II flood alert, or when abnormal floods occur.

2. Flood bulletin

A flood bulletin shall be issued when river water levels reach level II flood alert and continue to rise, or when river water levels have decreased but remain higher than level II flood alert.

3. Urgent flood bulletin

An urgent flood bulletin shall be issued when river water levels reach level III flood alert and continue to rise, or when river water levels have decreased but remain higher than level III flood alert.

Article 14. Content of flood forecast and warning bulletins

1. Flood warning bulletin

a) The title of the flood warning bulletin accompanied by the name of the river and the name of the location issuing the flood warning, as specified in Appendix II and Appendix III of this Decision;

b) Characteristics of rainfall in the watershed;

c) Areas where floods may occur;

d) Possible flood alert levels;

đ) Time for issuance of the next bulletin.

2. Flood bulletin and urgent flood bulletin

a) The title of the flood bulletin and urgent flood bulletin accompanied by the name of the river and the name of the location issuing the flood warning, as specified in Appendix II and Appendix III of this Decision;

b) Actual flood situation over the past 24 hours and measured water level data at the latest time point;

c) Potential and development of floods during the forecast period;

d) Forecasted flood water level, forecasted water level compared with the water levels of various flood alert levels or with peak water levels during major floods and historical floods;

đ) Disaster risk level due to floods as prescribed by the Prime Minister;

e) Time for issuance of the next bulletin.

Article 15. Frequency and time of issuance of flood forecast and warning bulletins

1. A flood warning bulletin shall be issued when river water levels have the potential to reach level II flood alert or when abnormal floods occur.

2. Flood bulletin

a) For floods on the Hong River and Thai Binh River, two bulletins are issued daily at 9:30 AM and 5:30 PM; in complex flood situations, an additional bulletin is issued at 9:30 PM;

b) For floods on the Tien River and Hau River, one bulletin is issued every three days at 9:30 AM;

c) For floods on other rivers, three bulletins are issued daily at 9:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 9:30 PM.

3. Urgent flood bulletin

a) For floods on the Hong River and Thai Binh River, three main bulletins are issued daily at 9:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 9:30 PM; in complex flood situations, additional bulletins are issued between the main bulletins;

b) For floods on the Tien River and Hau River, one bulletin is issued every two days at 9:30 AM; in complex flood situations, additional bulletins are issued between the main bulletins;

c) For floods on other rivers, four main bulletins are issued daily at 5:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 9:30 PM; in complex flood situations, additional bulletins are issued between the main bulletins.

Article 16. Flood forecasting and warning on local river systems

1. Flood forecasting and warning on local river systems (as specified in Appendix III) shall be carried out in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of this Decision.

2. The agency responsible for issuing flood forecast and warning bulletins as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article shall decide on the time and frequency of issuing such bulletins based on the requirements of flood prevention and control activities and the characteristics of each river or local river system.

Section 3

EARTHQUAKE NOTIFICATION AND TSUNAMI WARNING

Article 17. Issuing Earthquake Alerts

Earthquake alerts shall be issued when:

1. Earthquakes with a magnitude (M) of 3.5 or higher (according to the Richter scale or equivalent) occur and affect Vietnam.

2. Earthquakes with a magnitude over 6.5 (according to the Richter scale or equivalent) occur at sea and have the potential to cause tsunamis affecting Vietnam.

Article 18. Content of Earthquake Alerts

1. Title of the earthquake alert.

2. Time of the earthquake occurrence: Reported in GMT and Hanoi time.

3. Location of the earthquake occurrence: Name of the locality, epicenter coordinates, depth of the focus.

4. Magnitude of the earthquake, intensity of shaking at the epicenter and nearby localities: Reported according to the MSK-64 scale.

5. Potential consequences due to the earthquake.

6. Level of disaster risk due to earthquakes as prescribed by the Prime Minister.

Article 19. Issuing Tsunami Warning Alerts

Tsunami warning alerts shall be issued when:

1. Earthquakes with a magnitude over 6.5 (according to the Richter scale or equivalent) occur at sea and have the potential to cause tsunamis affecting Vietnam.

2. Tsunamis occur due to earthquakes in distant marine areas and have the potential to affect Vietnam.

Article 20. Types of Tsunami Warning Alerts

1. Tsunami warning alerts are reported at three levels:

a) Tsunami warning level 1: Issued when a strong earthquake occurs with the potential to cause a tsunami, advising readiness for evacuation.

b) Tsunami warning level 2: Issued when a non-destructive tsunami has been detected but requires vigilance against large waves causing damage along coastal areas, advising readiness for evacuation.

c) Tsunami warning level 3: Issued when a destructive tsunami has been detected, requiring immediate evacuation.

2. Tsunami warning cancellation notice

A tsunami warning cancellation notice shall be issued when a tsunami does not occur as previously warned.

3. Final tsunami report

A final tsunami report shall be issued when the tsunami has completely ended.

Article 21. Content of Tsunami Warning Alerts

1. Title of the tsunami warning alert, as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 20 of this Decision.

2. Assessment of the tsunami

a) Position, time, magnitude, epicenter coordinates, depth of the focus of the earthquake;

b) Possibility of a tsunami occurring, level of danger, and directly affected areas;

c) Height of the tsunami at the coast and the time it will impact.

3. Evacuation requirements depending on the level of the warning.

4. Level of disaster risk due to tsunamis as prescribed by the Prime Minister.

Section 4

 PREDICTION AND WARNING OF OTHER TYPES OF NATURAL DISASTERS RELATED TO

METEOROLOGY, HYDROLOGY, OCEANOGRAPHY

Article 22. Prediction and Warning of Other Types of Natural Disasters Related to Meteorology, Hydrology, and Oceanography

1. Issuance of forecast bulletins for other types of natural disasters related to meteorology, hydrology, and oceanography that can determine intensity, level of danger, scope, timing, and disaster risk level, including: Heavy rain, strong winds at sea, flooding, water surges, saltwater intrusion, heatwaves, droughts, cold snaps, frost, fog.

2. Issuance of warning bulletins for other types of natural disasters related to meteorology and hydrology that can determine intensity, level of danger, and disaster risk level, but cannot accurately determine scope and timing, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, hail, landslides, land subsidence caused by floods or runoff.

3. Forecast and warning bulletins for other types of natural disasters related to meteorology, hydrology, and oceanography may be compiled into independent bulletins or integrated into weather forecast bulletins, tropical depression forecasts and warnings, typhoon forecasts and warnings, flood forecasts.

Article 23. Content, form, time, and frequency of issuing weather, hydrological, and marine disaster forecast and warning bulletins

Based on the characteristics of each type of disaster specified in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 22 of this Decision, the disaster forecasting and warning agencies shall issue bulletins with appropriate content, form, time, and frequency for each specific case.

Chapter III

TRANSMISSION OF DISASTER INFORMATION

Article 24. Provision of disaster information

1. Agencies and organizations issuing disaster forecast and warning bulletins as stipulated in Article 5 of this Decision shall be responsible for providing such bulletins to state leadership agencies; ministries, sectors, localities, and organizations related to disaster prevention, response, and aftermath mitigation; and agencies and organizations transmitting disaster information.

2. The list of agencies and organizations receiving disaster forecast and warning information is set forth in Appendix V of this Decision.

Article 25. Time and method of providing disaster information

1. Agencies providing disaster information as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 24 shall be responsible for providing bulletins to the agencies listed in Appendix V of this Decision within the shortest possible time of fifteen minutes from the completion of the latest forecast or warning bulletin.

2. The Institute of Geophysics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology shall immediately provide earthquake information and tsunami warning bulletins to the agencies listed in Appendix V of this Decision upon completion of the bulletins.

3. Methods of providing disaster information

a) Public information systems, including telephone and fax systems; central and local radio and television systems; the Internet; postal services on public postal networks and postal networks serving Party and State agencies, defense, and security;

b) Specialized information systems, including direct command and control hotlines for disaster prevention and response; specialized communication and broadcasting systems of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies; border guard communication systems; tsunami warning systems combined with other disaster warnings; communication service systems for disaster prevention and response provided by telecommunications enterprises.

Article 26. Transmission system for tropical depression, typhoon, and flood information

1. For the Voice of Vietnam Radio Station

a) Upon receipt of Tropical Depression near the South China Sea, Typhoon near the South China Sea, Tropical Depression over the South China Sea, Typhoon over the South China Sea, Flood Warning, and Flood Information, organize broadcasts every two hours at the beginning of the hour continuously day and night on all broadcast channels; if new information is not received, continue to broadcast the most recent information;

b) Upon receipt of Tropical Depression near the coast, Tropical Depression over land, Typhoon near the coast, Urgent Typhoon, Typhoon over land, and Urgent Flood, organize immediate consecutive broadcasts twice, then broadcast once every hour at the beginning of the hour continuously day and night on all broadcast channels until new information is received or when requested to change broadcast times by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

c) When rebroadcasting old information, the issuance time of the bulletin must be repeated.

2. For Vietnam Television

a) Upon receipt of Tropical Depression near the South China Sea, Tropical Depression over the South China Sea, Typhoon near the South China Sea, Typhoon over the South China Sea, Flood Warning, and Flood Information, organize broadcasts in the nearest news programs on all channels and rebroadcast every two hours until new information is received or when requested to change broadcast times by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

b) Upon receipt of Tropical Depression near the coast, Tropical Depression over land, Typhoon near the coast, Urgent Typhoon, Typhoon over land, and Urgent Flood, organize immediate broadcasts on all channels and rebroadcast every hour until new information is received or when requested to change broadcast times by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;

c) When rebroadcasting old information, the issuance time of the bulletin must be repeated;

d) When broadcasting disaster information, in addition to reading the bulletin verbatim, scrolling text summarizing the main contents of the bulletin must also appear on the screen.

3. For the Coastal Radio Station System

a) Upon receipt of Tropical Depression near the South China Sea, Tropical Depression over the South China Sea, Tropical Depression near the coast, Tropical Depression over land, Typhoon near the South China Sea, Typhoon over the South China Sea, Typhoon near the coast, Urgent Typhoon, and Typhoon over land, broadcast 132 sessions daily, including:

- On channel 7906 KHz, broadcast 96 sessions per day;

- On channel 8294 KHz, broadcast 36 sessions per day.

b) When rebroadcasting old information, the issuance time of the bulletin must be repeated.

Article 27. Broadcasting System for Earthquake Information and Tsunami Alerts

1. For Voice of Vietnam Radio and Vietnam Television

a) Earthquake information shall be broadcast once immediately upon receipt and repeated in the nearest news program;

b) Level 1 and Level 2 tsunami warning information shall be broadcast immediately upon receipt and repeated twice, each time five minutes apart. Thereafter, it shall be rebroadcast every thirty minutes until the final tsunami information or tsunami warning cancellation information is received;

c) Level 3 tsunami warning information shall be broadcast immediately upon receipt and repeated twice, each time five minutes apart. Thereafter, it shall be rebroadcast every twenty minutes until the final tsunami information is received;

d) The final tsunami information or tsunami warning cancellation information shall be broadcast once immediately upon receipt and repeated in the nearest news program;

2. For the Coastal Radio Station System and the Direct Alert Tsunami Warning System

a) Level 1 and Level 2 tsunami warning information shall be broadcast immediately upon receipt and continuously repeated every ten minutes until the final tsunami information or tsunami warning cancellation information is received;

b) Level 3 tsunami warning information shall be broadcast immediately upon receipt and continuously repeated every five minutes until the final tsunami information is received;

c) The final tsunami information or tsunami warning cancellation information shall be broadcast immediately upon receipt and repeated once five minutes later;

Article 28. Broadcasting System for Disaster Emergency Information

The broadcasting of disaster emergency information when declaring a state of emergency shall be carried out according to the provisions of the law on states of emergency in cases of major disasters or dangerous epidemics;

Article 29. Broadcasting System for Other Types of Natural Disasters

1. If the forecast and warning information on natural disasters specified in Articles 22 and 23 of this Decision is incorporated into weather forecasts, tropical depression forecasts, typhoon forecasts, and flood forecasts, the broadcasting of such information shall follow the broadcasting system of the main bulletin;

2. If the forecast and warning information on natural disasters specified in Articles 22 and 23 of this Decision is compiled into an independent bulletin, the broadcasting of such information shall be carried out according to the requirements of the issuing agency;

Article 30. Broadcasting of Natural Disaster Information by Organizations and Individuals

Organizations and individuals not specified in Articles 26 and 27 of this Decision are encouraged to broadcast official natural disaster bulletins provided by agencies and organizations specified in Article 24 of this Decision or broadcasts made by Voice of Vietnam Radio and Vietnam Television;

Chapter IV

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE PREDICTION, WARNING, AND BROADCASTING OF NATURAL DISASTER INFORMATION

PROJECTION, WARNING AND COMMUNICATION OF DISASTERS

Article 31. Responsibilities of Ministries, Agencies Equivalent to Ministries, and Government Agencies

1. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

a) Implement state management functions regarding natural disaster prediction and warning;

b) Direct the National Hydro-Meteorological Center to issue forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters, publish them on the center's website at http://www.nchmf.gov.vn, and promptly provide forecast and warning information to relevant agencies as prescribed;

c) Modernize the meteorological, hydrological, and marine observation network; strengthen investment in equipment and technology to serve forecasting and warning work;

d) Organize research and application of scientific and technological advancements; international cooperation in the field of natural disaster prediction and warning; and training for personnel engaged in forecasting and warning work;

đ) Receive feedback from ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals regarding the broadcasting system, quality, and accuracy of forecast and warning bulletins;

e) Lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to evaluate the quality of forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters and propose measures to improve the quality of natural disaster forecasting and warning work;

g) Lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to disseminate and promote public awareness about the use of forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters;

h) Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to review tsunami warning scenarios for Vietnam and report to the Prime Minister;

2. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

a) Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to establish, operate, and broadcast tsunami warning information on the direct alert tsunami warning system;

b) Direct enterprises under its jurisdiction to comply with the regulations on providing reservoir information as stipulated in Article 35 of this Decision;

3. The Ministry of National Defense

a) Direct the Border Guard Force and units under the Ministry to promptly broadcast forecast and warning bulletins on natural disasters through the communication systems managed by the Ministry;

b) Coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to construct and manage the operation of the direct alert tsunami warning system according to approved plans;

c) Coordinate with provincial and municipal disaster prevention and control headquarters to implement signal firing and operate tropical depression and typhoon warning signals according to Appendices VI and VIII of this Decision;

4. Ministry of Information and Communications

a) Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to plan and allocate frequencies for natural disaster forecasting, warning, and maritime search and rescue operations;

b) Direct telecommunications enterprises to enhance connection speeds and quality between the issuing agencies of forecast and warning bulletins and disaster information broadcasting agencies, disaster prevention and control directing agencies, and communities; expand coverage over seas, islands, remote areas;

c) Fulfill state management functions over press activities nationwide to ensure that forecast and warning information on natural disasters published on mass media is of high quality, timely, comprehensive, and accurate.

d) Coordinate with relevant agencies to direct information dissemination, public awareness campaigns, and the dissemination of knowledge about natural disasters, and provide guidance on the use of weather forecast and warning information.

5. The Ministry of Transport

Direct the Vietnam Maritime Electronic Information Joint Stock Company Limited to implement the issuance of weather forecast and warning information through the channels of the Vietnam Coastal Radio Station System in accordance with regulations; improve broadcast quality and expand coverage of maritime and remote island information.

6. The Ministry of Industry and Trade

Direct organizations and individuals managing hydropower reservoirs under the Ministry's jurisdiction to comply with the provisions regarding the provision of information on reservoirs stipulated in Article 35 of this Decision.

7. The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

a) Direct the Institute of Geophysics to establish and manage a monitoring network for earthquake notification and tsunami warning; update and perfect tsunami warning scenarios; issue earthquake notifications and tsunami warnings; provide earthquake notifications and tsunami warnings to agencies and organizations specified in Appendix V and post them on the website http://www.igp-vast.vn;

b) Research and propose scientific and technological methods and solutions for earthquake notification and tsunami warning work;

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and related agencies to disseminate knowledge about earthquakes and tsunamis and guide the use of earthquake notifications and tsunami warnings.

8. Other Ministries and Sectors

a) Immediately after receiving the first natural disaster forecast or warning within their jurisdiction, proactively provide information about sensitive areas and activities that may be affected by natural disasters to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, and related agencies to effectively organize forecasts, warnings, and dissemination of natural disaster information;

b) Immediately transmit natural disaster forecast and warning information to subordinate agencies and units to enable proactive prevention and avoidance;

c) Supervise and urge subordinate agencies and units to properly implement forecast, warning, and dissemination of natural disaster information regulations.

Article 32. Responsibilities of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue

1. The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control

a) Organize the receipt and processing of earthquake notification and natural disaster forecast and warning information according to assigned functions and tasks; update and provide real-time information on natural disaster developments to forecasting and warning agencies;

b) Annually provide the National Hydro-Meteorological Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with comprehensive information on natural disasters and damage caused by them, serving as a basis for adjusting and supplementing natural disaster risk levels;

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to evaluate the effectiveness of natural disaster forecast and warning information; the timeliness of such information when received by users; recommend adjustments and supplements to unsuitable or missing contents to improve forecast, warning, and dissemination activities concerning natural disasters.

2. The National Committee for Search and Rescue

a) Receive and process natural disaster forecast and warning information provided by the National Hydro-Meteorological Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Institute of Geophysics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology according to their functions and tasks;

b) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology to evaluate the effectiveness of natural disaster forecast and warning information; the timeliness of such information when received by users; recommend adjustments and supplements to unsuitable or missing contents to improve forecast, warning, and dissemination activities concerning natural disasters, consistent with search and rescue requirements.

Article 33. Responsibilities of News Agencies and Press Outlets

1. Vietnam Radio, Vietnam Television

a) Organize the transmission of disaster-related news as prescribed in Articles 26, 27, 28, and 29 of this Decision;

b) In news programs, fully and accurately broadcast the contents of the news items prescribed in Articles 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, and 29 of this Decision. In special reports and commentaries according to the program of the station, parts of the disaster news can be edited but must not distort the content of the news;

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, relevant ministries, and localities to develop radio and television programs aimed at promoting public awareness about disasters and effectively utilizing disaster forecast and warning information;

d) Timely inform agencies providing disaster news about audience feedback on the quality, content, and format of disaster forecast and warning news and actual disaster developments.

2. Provincial and City Radio Stations

a) Re-broadcast the latest disaster forecast and warning news from Vietnam Radio and Vietnam Television. For provinces and cities not affected by disasters, parts of the news can be edited to suit local conditions;

b) Broadcast disaster forecast and warning news provided by regional meteorological and hydrological stations and provincial meteorological and hydrological stations in the nearest news program of the station.

3. Coastal Information Station System

Organize the transmission of disaster-related news as prescribed in Clause 3 of Article 26, Clause 2 of Article 27, and Article 29 of this Decision.

Article 34. Responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels

1. Responsibilities of the Provincial People's Committee

a) Direct provincial radio and television stations and county-level radio stations to implement regulations on transmitting disaster-related news;

b) Coordinate with competent state agencies to inspect the implementation of regulations regarding information provision by owners of water storage facilities as prescribed in Article 35 of this Decision;

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and related ministries to promote knowledge about disasters; forecast, warn, and transmit disaster-related news.

2. Responsibilities of the District People's Committee

Receive disaster forecast and warning information from provincial People's Committees and Provincial Disaster Prevention and Control Task Forces; direct county-level radio stations to implement regulations on transmitting disaster-related news directly related to the locality.

3. Responsibilities of the Commune People's Committee

Receive disaster forecast and warning information from district People's Committees and District Disaster Prevention and Control Task Forces; disseminate and promote such information to each community to proactively prevent, respond to, and mitigate damage caused by disasters in their area.

Article 35. Responsibilities of Organizations and Individuals Managing and Operating Water Storage Facilities

During flood periods, organizations and individuals managing and operating water storage facilities, in addition to reporting and providing information to competent state management agencies as required, must provide meteorological and hydrological agencies with data from measurements and surveys related to reservoir regulation, including:

1. Upstream water level, downstream water level of the reservoir;

2. Inflow volume into the reservoir, outflow volume below the dam;

3. Estimated reservoir water level;

4. Expected time for flood release; estimated flood volume to be released over time.

Article 36. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals managing vessels operating at sea and means of transmitting information about natural disasters

1. Equip necessary communication devices to receive weather forecast and natural disaster warning information; maintain communication between vessels and with the Vietnam Coastal Radio Station, the Border Guard Force's information system, and other information systems.

2. Upon receiving tropical depression, typhoon forecast and tsunami warning information, immediately report the number of people, location, and vessel identification number to the Vietnam Coastal Radio Station system, the Border Guard Force's information system, and other information systems for timely guidance on movement and avoidance.

3. When discovering natural disaster phenomena at sea, immediately report to the Vietnam Coastal Radio Station and the Border Guard Force's information system.

4. Organizations and individuals with communication means that have been licensed to use and transmit natural disaster information shall be responsible for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the bulletins issued by competent authorities.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 37. Effective Date

This Decision takes effect from October 1, 2014, and replaces Decision No. 17/2011/QĐ-TTg dated March 14, 2011, of the Government Chairman on the Tropical Depression, Typhoon, and Flood Reporting Regulations; Decision No. 133/2009/QĐ-TTg dated November 3, 2009, of the Government Chairman on the Marine Natural Disaster Warning and Forecast Information Regulations; and Decision No. 264/2006/QĐ-TTg dated November 16, 2006, of the Government Chairman on Earthquake Reporting and Tsunami Warning Regulations.

Article 38. Responsibility for Implementation

1. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Director of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Chairman of the National Search and Rescue Committee, Chairmen of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees, and Heads of related agencies and units are responsible for implementing this Decision.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the promulgation, guidance on implementation of this Decision; monitor, compile, and report difficulties and obstacles encountered during the implementation process to the Government Chairman for consideration and decision./.