Decision No. 63/2002/QĐ-TTg On flood and storm prevention and mitigation of natural disasters

Pursuant to …;

On Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters

_______________________

PRIME MINISTER

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

Pursuant to the Water Resources Law dated May 20, 1998;

Pursuant to the Law on Flood and Storm Prevention and Control amended and supplemented on August 24, 2000, and the Law on Dikes promulgated on August 24, 2000;

At the proposal of the Minister, Head of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control.

DECISION:

Article 1. To proactively carry out annual flood and storm prevention and mitigation work to minimize losses caused by natural disasters, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities directly under the central government shall be responsible for:

1. Organizing the summary, evaluation, and drawing lessons from the previous year’s flood and storm prevention and aftermath recovery work to serve as a basis for effectively building plans and schemes for subsequent years; ensuring consistency, coordination, and systematicness from province down to district and commune levels, especially in key and vulnerable areas.

2. Strengthening the organization of flood and storm prevention and control steering committees at all levels and sectors; organizing training and drills for various flood and storm prevention and control scenarios; for regions frequently affected by floods and storms, the Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels shall directly serve as the Heads of the Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Steering Committees.

3. Implementing the principle of "4 localities" (command at the locality; forces at the locality; materials, means, and funds at the locality; logistics at the locality) effectively; ministries, sectors, and localities must have close cooperation plans among forces, timely and coordinated directives to maximize comprehensive strength, proactively prevent and respond to the most adverse situations when floods, storms, and natural disasters occur, minimizing human and property losses to the lowest extent possible.

4. Ensuring the communication network, warning, and forecasting systems operate smoothly in all circumstances; strictly implementing duty shifts during the flood and storm season.

Regularly reporting on their flood and storm prevention and control work to the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control; proactively handling and resolving issues within their authority when storms, floods, or natural disasters occur; if beyond their authority, immediately report.

Article 2. Responsibilities of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities directly under the central government:

1. Provinces in the Red River Delta, North Central, and North-Central regions:

- Must complete annual dike repair plans before the rainy season, inspect and evaluate the quality of each dike section, promptly address any dike, embankment, and sluice damage; develop dike protection and rescue plans for each section and key area.

- Prepare sufficient manpower, equipment, and reserve materials to be ready to counter large floods.

- Develop plans and strategies for relocating and protecting residents in riverbank areas, proactively formulating flood diversion plans to minimize losses to the lowest extent possible for people and the state.

2. Coastal provinces in the Central region must formulate plans and strategies to deal with the worst-case scenario when floods, storms, and high tides occur simultaneously; they must have evacuation plans for low-lying areas, river mouths, coastal zones, and hazardous landslide-prone areas to safe locations, taking proactive measures to reduce losses, gradually adapting, stabilizing, and developing sustainably under frequent natural disaster conditions.

3. Provinces in the Mekong Delta must develop effective plans and measures to counter prolonged major floods; plans to protect production, infrastructure facilities, ensuring normal activities for residents, particularly in deep-flooded areas; developing school study, teaching, and examination plans suitable for flood conditions.

For deep-flooded areas, local authorities must have specific evacuation plans; inspect the preparation of boats to ensure each household has one boat as a flood avoidance tool and fishing gear for subsistence when flooded for extended periods. Building flood-resistant residential clusters, ensuring sustainable and long-term development.

4. Provinces with water reservoirs must regularly inspect and promptly repair any damages before the flood and storm season; develop plans to ensure safety for projects and residents in downstream areas.

5. For mountainous and midland provinces often affected by flash floods, earthquakes, etc., provincial People's Committees must direct relevant departments to effectively implement forecasting and warning work in dangerous areas to develop proactive evacuation plans for people and assets to safe locations.

6. Areas frequently affected by typhoons, tropical depressions, and floods:

- Closely monitor the development of floods, storms, and natural disasters, proactively organize preventive measures, and develop rescue plans before natural disasters occur, such as reinforcing houses, schools, hospitals, warehouses, etc.;

- Develop relocation plans for residents in coastal, low-lying, and hazardous landslide-prone areas to safe locations; resolutely prohibit ships from going to sea when typhoons and tropical depressions are active. Plan construction of houses with structures suitable for flood and storm avoidance; adjust crop structures and seasons to minimize losses.

- Localities need to mobilize and organize the storage of essential goods like food, fuel, and medicine at household, village, commune, and district levels.

- Organize training and drills for frontline personnel involved in flood and storm prevention and rescue operations; proactively develop response plans, mobilizing all resources within the locality according to the "4 localities" principle to counteract and mitigate aftermath.

Article 3. Central ministries and sectors shall be responsible for:

1. The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control shall advise the Government and

2. The National Search and Rescue Commission shall prepare plans and strategies for force and means; coordinate with the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, related ministries, sectors, and localities to develop and implement timely and effective search and rescue operations.

3. The General Meteorological and Hydrological Service shall have programs and plans to invest in and upgrade advanced technological equipment for the information system and specialized information processing system, gradually improving the quality of forecasts and warnings to better serve management, guidance, and command in preventing and effectively responding to complex situations such as floods, storms, and natural disasters; promptly providing data and analyses on water flow, rainfall, floods, storms, and rising sea levels to the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, relevant ministries, sectors, and localities.

4. The Ministry of National Defense shall have plans and schemes for deploying forces and means ready to participate in dike protection, dam protection, flood diversion, and delayed flooding; emergency rescue and handling of urgent situations and recovery from flood, storm, and natural disaster consequences, ensuring that the military is the main force in this work.

5. The Ministry of Public Security shall ensure public security and social order when natural disasters occur, coordinating with military forces, relevant sectors, and localities to participate in search and rescue operations.

6. The General Post Office shall prioritize the communication network for flood and storm prevention and control, ensuring smooth communication in all situations, including during floods and storms.

7. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct, inspect, and urge localities to complete annual dike repair plans; construct hydraulic works according to flood-exceeding schedules; develop safety measures for reservoirs and dams and other facilities under its management; closely coordinate with localities in adjusting production structures and seasons to protect production in areas frequently affected by floods and storms.

8. The Ministry of Fisheries shall guide, inspect, and urge the implementation of safety measures for people and fishing vessels operating at sea, on rivers, and at shelters; protect aquaculture production and facilities; direct the planning and development of coastal aquaculture suitable to flood and storm conditions to minimize losses.

9. The Ministry of Transport shall develop specific annual plans for the sector regarding the deployment of forces, materials, and means for rescue and replacement when bridges and roads suffer damage to ensure smooth operation of key transportation routes; prepare forces, materials, and means to handle situations involving earthquakes and major dike and dam accidents.

10. The Ministry of Industry, Vietnam Electricity Corporation shall have plans and schemes to regulate water levels in Hoa Binh Reservoir, Thac Ba Reservoir, and other hydropower reservoirs to ensure power generation plans and be ready to participate in flood control, power generation, and water supply to downstream areas during the dry season; regularly inspect and evaluate the quality of and promptly repair any damages to key facilities, implement measures to ensure absolute safety for managed reservoirs; direct the implementation of safety measures for underground mining areas.

11. The Ministry of Trade shall cooperate with provincial People's Committees to prepare essential goods for supply to the population before each annual flood and storm season, especially in remote, deep, and frequently flooded areas; coordinate with local authorities at all levels to properly implement in-place reserves from July to November, with each household, village, commune, and district having sufficient food, necessities, and other essential supplies to last for a minimum of two weeks.

12. The Ministry of Culture and Information, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam; central and local information agencies and media must continuously strengthen their work of disseminating accurate and timely information on weather forecasts, flood, storm, and natural disaster warnings; policies, orders, directives on flood and storm prevention and control, and experiences and exemplary practices in these efforts. They shall cooperate with specialized agencies to popularize basic knowledge about flood and storm prevention and avoidance among the people.

13. Other ministries and sectors shall, based on their functions and responsibilities, enhance their leadership, develop annual plans, and effectively implement tasks related to flood and storm prevention and control. At the same time, they must prepare forces, means, materials, and funds to proactively participate in flood and storm prevention and recovery efforts as directed by

Article 4. Annually, based on the contents of this Decision, related legal normative documents, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, and relevant ministries, sectors, and localities shall, according to their functions and responsibilities and the evolving situation of floods, storms, and natural disasters, issue directives on flood and storm prevention and control, disaster reduction, and organize and direct effective implementation.

Article 5. This Decision takes effect from the date of signing.

Article 6. Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, Heads of Government Agencies, Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees directly under the Central Government are responsible for implementing this Decision.