Hanoi (VNA) – Creating more detailed flood andlandslide risk maps is among the solutions the Government will carry out in thetime ahead to cope with possible natural disasters, Deputy Prime Minister TrinhDinh Dung said on November 6.

Responding to legislators’ questions at theNational Assembly’s ongoing 10th session, he said prolonged flooding and StormMolave, the strongest one in 20 years, have caused heavy losses of life andproperty in the central region.

The impact of climate change and extreme weatherconditions, especially storms and floods, are currently major challenges tomany countries around the world, and Asia is the hardest-hit continent.

Stressing human factors as a major cause ofrecent landslides, the Deputy PM elaborated that Vietnam ranks 50th among 193countries and territories in terms of forest coverage, over 41 percent of itsarea, but forest quality remains low and deforestation for farming andindustrial purposes have yet to be prevented thoroughly.

Besides, the construction of infrastructure liketransport facilities, power transmission lines, pipeline, housing, andirrigation and hydropower reservoirs without careful consideration in mountainousareas has also increased landslide risks in the rainy season, he explained.

Dung said the Government will press on withoverhauling regulations on natural disaster prevention and control and reviewclimate change scenarios which will serve as the basis for building responseplans.

It will also make a disaster prevention andcontrol strategy for 2021-2030 and include climate change and disaster responsecontents in national, regional, sectoral and provincial planning.

More detailed flood and landslide risk maps willbe drawn to serve evacuation, he said, noting that only large-scale maps weremade while where exactly vulnerable places are haven’t been identified.

Particularly, the Government will strictlymanage the building of socio-economic infrastructure in mountainous areas.These facilities must satisfy climate change response and disaster preventionrequirements, and encroachment upon natural and protection forests must beminimised during their construction.

It will also order localities to upgradereservoirs and dykes to ensure their safety, invest in anti-erosion facilitiesfor river banks and coasts, build more anti-flooding houses in coastal centralprovinces, and improve shelter areas for vessels.

Additionally, the Government will work topromote the capacity of disaster prevention, search and rescue forces at alllevels, and purchase more vehicles and equipment for the tasks, according toDeputy PM Dung./.