Decision No. 92/2007/QD-TTg Approving the Flood Prevention Plan for the Red River and Thai Binh River Systems

Pursuant to …;

Approving the Flood Prevention Plan for the Red River and Thai Binh River Systems

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PRIME MINISTER

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

Pursuant to the Law on Dikes dated November 29, 2006;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

DECISION:

Article 1. Approving the Flood Prevention Plan for the Red River and Thai Binh River Systems with the following main contents:

I. Objectives

1. Determining the level of flood protection for the Red River and Thai Binh River systems.

2. Determining the design flood for the river course including the design flood flow rate and the design flood water level.

3. Determining engineering and non-engineering solutions to prevent and control floods for each locality within the Red River and Thai Binh River systems.

4. Serving as a basis for developing detailed flood prevention plans under local management; land use planning, construction planning, and other related plans of ministries, sectors, and localities.

II. Scope of Planning

Including provinces and cities with dykes in the Red River and Thai Binh River systems: Phu Tho, Ha Tay, Hoa Binh, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, and upstream provinces of the Red River and Thai Binh River systems.

III. Flood Prevention Standards

1. Period 2007 - 2010: ensuring flood protection against a 250-year cycle (frequency of 0.4%), corresponding flow rate at Son Tay being 42,600 m³/s.

2. Period 2010 - 2015: ensuring flood protection against a 500-year cycle (frequency of 0.2%), corresponding flow rate at Son Tay being 48,500 m³/s.

3. Flood prevention standards for the dyke system:

- In Hanoi: ensuring protection against floods corresponding to a water level of 13.4 meters on the Red River at the Long Bien station and discharging a minimum flow rate of 20,000 m³/s;

- At Pha Lai: ensuring protection against floods corresponding to a water level of 7.2 meters on the Thai Binh River at the Pha Lai station;

- For other regional dyke systems: ensuring protection against floods corresponding to a water level of 13.1 meters on the Red River at the Long Bien station;

Excess flow rates beyond this capacity will be addressed through other measures: reservoir regulation, flood diversion, delayed flooding, riverbed improvement for flood discharge, etc.

IV. Flood Prevention Measures

Flood prevention measures for the Red River and Thai Binh River systems include: regulating reservoirs to reduce flood volumes; planting protective forests in upstream areas; reinforcing and upgrading the dyke system; improving riverbeds to increase flood discharge capacity; implementing flood diversion and delayed flooding; allowing overflow through emergency spillways and ensuring dike safety in case of full-line overflow; organizing and rescuing from dike breaches.

1. Regulating reservoirs to reduce flood volumes: existing and ongoing reservoir projects on the upper reaches of the Red River and Thai Binh River systems will participate in regulating and reducing flood volumes downstream. Technical criteria used to establish flood regulation procedures for reservoirs:

a) Hoa Binh Reservoir: normal water level elevation: 117.0 m; reinforced water level elevation: 122.0 m; lowest pre-flood water level: 88.0 m; flood reduction volume for downstream: 4.9 billion m³;

b) Tuyen Quang Reservoir: normal water level elevation: 120.0 m; reinforced water level elevation: 122.55 m; lowest pre-flood water level: 90.0 m; flood reduction volume for downstream: 1.0 billion m³;

c) Thac Ba Reservoir: normal water level elevation: 58.0 m; reinforced water level elevation: 61.0 m; lowest pre-flood water level: 56.0 m; flood reduction volume for downstream: 0.45 billion m³;

d) Son La Reservoir: normal water level elevation: 215.0 m; reinforced water level elevation: 217.83 m; flood reduction volume for downstream (in combination with Hoa Binh Reservoir): 7.0 billion m³;

e) Total flood reduction volume of the Da River cascade is 7 billion m³ and the Lo and Gam rivers system is 1.5 billion m³With the above flood reduction levels, if a 500-year recurrence period flood occurs, it can ensure that the water level in Hanoi does not exceed 13.40 m;

During the rainy season, reservoirs must implement flood reduction for downstream while ensuring the safety of the structures. The operation of flood reduction by reservoirs must comply with the operational procedures approved by competent state authorities.

2. Planting protective forests in upstream areas:

- Planting and protecting upstream forests is one of the important and long-term solutions in flood prevention work for downstream areas, aiming to increase forest coverage, prevent soil erosion, prevent drought, and mitigate flash floods;

Organizing and directing the effective implementation of the forest planting program, with the goal of adding approximately 2 million hectares in the Northeast region by 2010, and approximately 0.7 million hectares in the Northwest region, raising forest coverage to over 55%.

- From after 2010, focusing on forest protection and reasonable exploitation to maintain forest coverage and continue planting additional forests where conditions permit to increase covered areas.

3. Reinforcing and upgrading the dyke system:

a) Dikes are the basic and long-term solution for flood prevention in the Red River Delta and North Central regions. The current dyke system has ensured sufficient height to withstand major floods that have occurred;

It is necessary to maintain the current dyke elevation, focusing on investment in reinforcement, upgrading, and solidifying the dyke system to ensure flood safety, while promoting economic and social development.

b) Technical solutions for reinforcing, upgrading, and solidifying the dyke system include:

- Dyke body: raising and widening the cross-section, constructing core dykes according to design standards; detecting and treating hidden dangers in the dyke body; building emergency spillways for extreme flood protection on some dyke sections and in flood diversion and delayed flooding areas; planting trees to resist waves, planting grass to prevent erosion and protect the dyke slope, while creating a pleasant environment;

- Dyke foundation: applying new science and technology, new materials to treat weak foundation sections to ensure dyke safety. Filling ponds and lakes adjacent to the dyke to enhance stability. Constructing a cover layer to extend the seepage path; constructing a counter-pressure layer to increase resistance against sliding in weak foundation areas, which are frequently subjected to heaving.

- Renovating the levee surface and the footpath along the levee: reinforcing the levee surface mainly with concrete to increase stability for the levee body when water overflows the surface during major floods, combining it with rural transportation roads, evacuation routes in emergency situations, facilitating management of the levee, and organizing levee protection. Constructing footpaths along the levee to serve management and protection of the levee, preventing encroachment on the levee body, and combining them with collection roads in residential areas.

- Preventing and controlling riverbank erosion: addressing riverbank erosion should harmonize engineering and non-engineering solutions; prioritizing areas where erosion directly threatens the safety of levees and flood and storm prevention works; residential areas and urban zones should be given priority for treatment.

There must be plans to relocate residents in areas prone to or at risk of erosion; simultaneously, construction projects and residential planning should not be carried out in areas at risk of erosion.

In areas without residents or structures, the main protective measure for the riverbank is planting grass.

- Building and upgrading levee crossings: new construction or upgrading of levee crossings must ensure safety against floods, safety for the levee system; they must be consistent with the levee cross-section design; have sufficient load-bearing capacity when combined with traffic; where conditions permit, design systems to extract sediment-laden water to improve paddy fields; work bridges and sluice gates must be high enough to ensure operation during the flood season; establish operational procedures for levee crossings. Regularly inspect levee crossings; for those damaged but unable to be rebuilt or repaired immediately, resolutely implement measures to ensure flood safety.

c) Research and application of scientific and technological progress: strengthen research and application of new science and technology, materials, and advanced equipment in the process of managing, constructing, repairing, upgrading, and reinforcing levee works.

4. Renovating the channel:

- Review, supplement, and adjust the planning of existing residential areas outside the riverbank, creating clear channels, enhancing flood drainage capacity;

- Strictly control the reinforcement of existing secondary levees;

- Construction of transportation works in the riverbed and riverbank must strictly comply with current laws;

- Gradually dredge river mouths and sediment deposits to enhance flood drainage capacity.

5. Utilizing flood diversion and retardation zones: when large floods occur, and flood regulation reservoirs downstream have used their entire flood storage capacity, while forecasts indicate continued rising water levels, with the possibility of the Red River water level in Hanoi exceeding 13.4 meters, the Head of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention reports to the Prime Minister to declare an urgent flood warning; simultaneously, implement flood diversion and retardation according to the Flood Diversion and Retardation Regulations of the Red River System issued together with Decree No. 62/1999/NĐ-CP dated July 31, 1999 of the Government.

a) Flood diversion: the content of flood diversion involves transferring part of the flood flow from the Red River into the Day River through the Day Dam gate; transferring part of the flood flow from the Da River into the Tich River via the section of the levee that can be deliberately breached using explosives at Luong Phu.

- Flood diversion capacity into the Day River: based on calculations with the channel profile of the Day River (surveyed in 1999-2000), if larger floods than the August 1971 flood occur, when all reservoirs have used their flood storage capacity, the maximum flood diversion capacity into the Day River would be as follows:

Continue to renovate the Day River to ensure it can drain 5,000 m³/s when diverting floods into the Day River.

- Flood diversion capacity through Luong Phu: the designed flood diversion flow through Luong Phu is approximately 1,000 - 1,280 m³/s with total flood volume from 0.9 - 1.0 billion m³. The effect of flood diversion through Luong Phu reduces the floodwater level in Hanoi by 0.10 - 0.15 m.

b) Flood retardation: the content of flood retardation involves cutting part of the total flood volume from the Da and Red Rivers (about 200 million m³) into the Tam Thanh storage area (Phu Tho); cutting part of the total flood volume from the Lo River (about 180 million m³) into the Lap Thach storage area (Vinh Phuc).

6. Building emergency spillways for levees: constructing emergency spillways for levees aims to proactively cut part of the flood peak into predetermined areas to avoid sudden levee breaches.

7. Reinforcing the levee surface to accept overtopping in case of unavoidable major floods: reinforcing the levee surface combines it with rural transportation roads, evacuation routes in emergency situations, facilitating levee management, and organizing levee protection. In cases of unavoidable major floods, overtopping is accepted but levee failure must be prevented.

8. Organizing levee protection:

a) Levee protection must be conducted regularly and is a fundamental and important measure, especially during the flood and storm season; timely rescue operations must be carried out when there are levee incidents or potential incidents;

b) Mobilizing forces, materials, and equipment for levee rescue must be promptly implemented according to the principle of "four localities," within the authority stipulated by the Law on Levees. In levee rescue operations, the military is the main force; simultaneously coordinating with forces from various ministries, sectors, and localities to ensure levee safety;

c) Materials, equipment, and facilities for levee protection must be fully prepared according to specific levee protection plans of each locality, combining traditional and modern methods, emphasizing the application of new materials, science and technology, and advanced equipment for this purpose.

9. Flood prevention plans:

- For 250-year flood prevention: use levees to block floods, combined with operating flood regulation reservoirs upstream to reduce and divert floods into the Day River;

- For 500-year flood prevention: use levees to block floods, combined with operating flood regulation reservoirs upstream to reduce and divert floods into the Day River and through Luong Phu, utilizing flood retardation zones: Tam Thanh, Lap Thach;

- For 1,000-year flood prevention: use levees to block floods, combined with operating flood regulation reservoirs upstream to reduce and divert floods into the Day River and through Luong Phu, utilizing flood retardation zones: Tam Thanh, Lap Thach, allowing water to overflow through emergency spillways on the levee, accepting water overtopping the levee surface.

V. Appendices issued together with the Decision:

Attached to this Decision are appendices serving as a basis for ministries, sectors, localities in establishing and approving detailed planning related to flood prevention and control activities in the Red River and Thai Binh River systems, including:

Appendix I: Damage if the dike breaks at 38 protected areas within the Red River and Thai Binh River systems in 2005-2020.

Appendix II: Damage if the dike breaks in the Red River Delta region corresponding to different flood inundation levels.

Appendix III: Flood discharge capacity for downstream areas of the reservoir system.

Appendix IV: Impact of reservoirs on the environment.

Article 2. Implementation

1. The People's Committee of the province shall be responsible for establishing and adjusting detailed flood prevention and control plans for each river with dikes under its management according to the following principles:

a) Consistent with overall socio-economic development planning; national defense and security objectives; disaster prevention, mitigation, and response strategies; flood prevention and control planning for the river basin; ensuring continuity, consistency, and not affecting adjacent regions;

b) Consistent with flood prevention planning for rivers with dikes as stipulated in this planning;

c) Ensuring that designed floods and historical floods can be discharged from the river;

d) The People's Committee of the province shall establish detailed flood prevention and control plans for rivers with dikes to serve as a basis for land use planning, construction planning, including construction on riverbanks.

2. The People's Council of the province shall be responsible for approving and approving adjustments to detailed flood prevention and control plans for rivers with dikes in the locality submitted by the People's Committee of the province after reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as provided for in Clause 2, Article 12 of the Law on Dikes.

3. Based on the Red River and Thai Binh River Flood Prevention and Control Plan, ministries and sectors shall adjust their own planning related to dike activities in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Dikes.

4. The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control shall be responsible for monitoring rainfall and flood conditions, calculating various flood regulation scenarios, directing the operation of reservoir projects to reduce downstream flooding and enhance power generation efficiency; inspecting and supervising the operation of reservoirs in reducing flooding; directing flood prevention and control work and handling situations affecting the safety of downstream dike systems.

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

a) Announcing and directing the implementation of flood prevention and control plans and adjustments for rivers with dikes as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 13 of the Law on Dikes;

b) Directing the maintenance of safety for dike works within the Red River and Thai Binh River systems;

c) Organizing, inspecting, guiding relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the contents of the Red River and Thai Binh River Flood Prevention and Control Plan; simultaneously continuing research and compiling to submit to the Prime Minister for necessary adjustments and supplements to the Plan.

Article 3. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chair of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, Chairman of the National Search and Rescue Commission, and Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees in the Red River Delta and North Central regions are responsible for implementing this Decision./.