Directive No. 580/CT-TTg on flood, storm prevention and rescue work in 2009

DIRECTIVE

On Flood, Typhoon Prevention and Disaster Relief Work in 2009

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According to forecasts, the situation of natural disasters, typhoons, and floods in 2009 will have many complex developments. To proactively implement measures for flood, typhoon prevention, and disaster relief, minimizing human and property losses to the lowest extent possible, the Prime Minister instructs ministries, sectors, agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to perform the following tasks well:

1. Strengthen and improve the organization of Steering Committees for flood, typhoon prevention, and disaster relief from central to local levels. Implement the action program to realize the strategy on disaster prevention, mitigation, and reduction until 2020, proactively integrating disaster prevention tasks into all development projects, plans, and programs of all industries, fields, and localities. Organize supplementary training and disseminate experience on disaster prevention and mitigation for newly appointed officials responsible for this field.

2. Provincial People's Committees and centrally governed city People's Committees:

a) Develop plans to mobilize forces, ready to evacuate people from dangerous areas: river mouths, coastal areas, regions frequently flooded, areas at high risk of landslides during typhoons and floods. Plan resettlement of residents living in dangerous areas to safe locations. Arrange leadership and specialized forces to monitor, inspect, and urge the implementation of flood, typhoon prevention work in key areas. Proactively arrange equipment, means, and food reserves down to village and commune levels, especially in areas often cut off during typhoons and floods, according to the principle of "four localities." Establish plans to ensure safety for water reservoirs within the area, and detailed rescue plans for dams in case of accidents.

b) Provinces and cities with dykes should direct inspections and urging the completion of maintenance and upgrading of river dyke systems and protective works before the typhoon and flood season. Form detailed plans to mobilize forces, materials, and means for rescuing dykes when accidents occur. Coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Quang Nam should complete plans to repair and upgrade weak coastal dykes.

c) Coastal provinces continue to organize registration and inspection of fishing vessels according to their level; coordinate with Border Guard Forces to strictly check the provision of communication devices, life-saving equipment, and safety equipment for fishermen; when typhoons or tropical depressions occur in the East Sea, coordinate with coastal Border Guard Forces and Marine Information Stations to grasp the number of fishing vessels and fishermen operating at sea to guide them to move safely.

d) Mountainous provinces should implement warning measures for flash floods and landslides; equip communication devices to villages and hamlets to transmit warnings and conduct search and rescue operations in emergency situations. Proactively plan relocation of households living in areas at high risk of flash floods and landslides to safe locations.

3. The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Typhoon Prevention:

Coordinate with the National Committee for Search and Rescue to form teams to inspect the implementation of flood, typhoon prevention, and search and rescue work in 2009 in localities, particularly checking the preparation and arrangement of materials, means, and essential supplies according to the principle of "four localities." Organize training on technical skills for flood and typhoon prevention for county-level cadres.

4. The National Committee for Search and Rescue:

Proactively check the quantity, types, means, and materials currently available for search and rescue operations in regional centers and centrally governed cities. Report to the Prime Minister to promptly provide essential equipment and tools to relevant ministries, sectors, and localities before the rainy and storm season. Continue implementing procurement and construction projects for search and rescue means to supplement national reserves adequately. Lead and coordinate with related units and localities to practice search and rescue scenarios.

5. The Ministry of National Defense:

Direct military units to prepare forces and means to be ready to execute urgent tasks such as rescue operations in flood and typhoon emergencies, search and rescue, and participation in dam and dike rescue when accidents occur; coastal Border Guard Forces should strictly check the provision of communication devices and safety equipment for vessels and fishermen operating at sea according to regulations; implement flood diversion and delay tasks in the Hong River system to ensure safety for Hanoi; assist localities in overcoming the aftermath of natural disasters, floods, and typhoons, ensuring that the military is the main force in disaster prevention, mitigation, and aftermath recovery.

6. The Ministry of Public Security has the responsibility to ensure security and social order when natural disasters, floods, and typhoons occur; direct forces of the sector to cooperate with the military and local authorities to urgently evacuate people from dangerous areas, participate in rescue operations, and overcome the aftermath of natural disasters.

7. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

Direct subordinate units and localities to effectively implement contents such as establishing operational procedures for reservoirs, participating in flood reduction for downstream areas, developing safety plans for dike and reservoir structures; strictly manage the number of vessels, especially during typhoons and tropical depressions; continue implementing vessel registration and inspection according to their level and direct localities to organize registration and inspection of fishing vessels; accelerate the progress of construction of storm shelters for vessels that have been allocated funds, and disseminate anchoring techniques for vessels in storm shelters to localities to prevent vessels from sinking while anchored.

8. The Ministry of Transport:

Prepare means and forces to ensure smooth traffic in all situations when natural disasters, floods, or typhoons occur; arrange reserve materials in key areas along major and important transportation routes for timely rescue and replacement when bridges, roads, ports, etc., are damaged by natural disasters; develop traffic diversion plans for specific localities; prepare means to serve the evacuation of people when implementing flood diversion and delay measures in the Red River system to protect the safety of Hanoi; participate in resolving major dike and dam incidents upon orders.

9. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment:

Direct the National Hydro-Meteorological Center to organize effective forecasting work, issue forecast bulletins and warnings about tropical depressions, typhoons, and floods; forecast inflow volumes into reservoirs to direct effective flood prevention operations; coordinate with the Institute of Geophysics to receive earthquake and tsunami information, promptly warn relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement preventive measures.

10. The Ministry of Information and Communications:

Develop plans to ensure uninterrupted communication networks serving flood and typhoon prevention and search and rescue operations in all situations, especially connections between ministries, sectors, and localities with coastal radio stations and border guard information systems for vessel monitoring at sea and search and rescue operations; arrange specialized communication networks to serve command and control of disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

11. The Ministry of Industry and Trade:

Direct the Vietnam Electricity Corporation to cooperate with local authorities managing hydropower reservoirs to complete operational procedures, ensuring participation in downstream flood regulation and safety of facilities; implement stockpiling of essential goods and supplies, particularly instant noodles, dried food, bottled water, and fuel, ready for supply to disaster-stricken areas upon request.

12. Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, and other mass media must closely coordinate with the National Hydro-Meteorological Center, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, and related agencies to accurately and promptly disseminate information on the development of natural disasters, floods, and typhoons, as well as directives from the Prime Minister and the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention to ministries, sectors, and localities; continue implementing programs to popularize knowledge and raise community awareness about various types of natural disasters and preventive measures.

13. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall balance and allocate contingency budgets to support ministries, sectors, and localities in quickly mitigating the aftermath of natural disasters, floods, and typhoons; prioritize planned funds for urgent projects serving natural disaster prevention, search and rescue operations.

14. Ministries and sectors, within their assigned functions and tasks, are responsible for effectively organizing and implementing natural disaster, flood, and typhoon prevention and search and rescue operations, as well as mitigating the aftermath of natural disasters, floods, and typhoons within their respective jurisdictions; they must also prepare necessary forces, means, and materials to participate in natural disaster, flood, and typhoon prevention and search and rescue operations according to the Prime Minister's directives, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, and the Chairman of the National Search and Rescue Commission.

15. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal people's committees directly under the central government are responsible for strictly organizing and directing the implementation of this Directive.