A flood-resistant concrete bridge at Ban Thang hamlet facilitates local travel. (Photo: VNA) A solar-powered lighting system consisting of more than 20 lights and powerpoles has brought light to the rural location, thanks to the support ofActionAid International in Vietnam.
Vuong Phat Quy, a resident of Suoi Vui hamlet, said the solar-powered light systemhelps save electricity. Installing it is simple and environmentally friendlysince there is no need to connect cables to the grid.
All the villagers have to do is to put in the frame and then raise the pole.According to him, this has great significance for residents in isolated andhilly places.
The Tung Vai Commune Youth Union Secretary Phan Chan Phuc said the commune’sunion installed the lighting system in December 2023. The system runs bulbswith capacity of 300 watts each and an automatic control system to minimiseconsumption.
He said: “Since the lightbulb has a light sensor and turns on and offautomatically, it doesn't require much effort.”
Its lighting duration is extended, providing two to three days of backup duringovercast weather devoid of sunlight. According to Phuc, the method has aided inkeeping the hamlet safe and orderly, especially when it comes to helpingresidents evacuate amid significant floods.
Deputy Chairman of the commune Luc Giang Bang said residents have found the solar-poweredlighting system to be effective in boosting output and the local economy. Thislight represents not just electricity but also the policies and laws of theParty and the State and the social development.
The flood-resistant concrete bridge at Ban Thang hamlet, Tung Vai commune,works in tandem with the solar lighting system to provide assistance to theinhabitants in battling natural calamities.
ActionAid funded the project, with some donations coming from locals.
Beginning in October 2022, the bridge's construction spanned 2.5 metres inwidth and 9 metres in length. It opened for traffic in December 2022.
Then Thi Cham, a villager, told Vietnam News Agency that before the bridge wasbuilt, the villagers had to cross the creek by foot using two iron rails.
Nguyen Thi Thuy, Secretary of the Ban Thang Village Youth Union, said a fewyears ago, locals would not have dared to dream of a large concrete bridge.Although the community is irrigated by the Ban Thang Stream, the stream alsoposes a hazard to local life.
"The entire region was submerged when the river rose. Nobody was able tocross the river for several days,” she said.
More than 7,000 residents of Tung Vai commune were spared isolation amid thefloods thanks to the Ban Thang Bridge. About 130 children from 50 households nolonger have to miss lessons due to floods.
Evaluating the models assisting natural disaster prevention and control in HaGiang province, Pauline Tamesis, United Nations resident coordinator in Vietnam,said work on natural disaster prevention and control needed to be grounded inpeople's real needs. ActionAid International in Vietnam has implementedpractical solutions such as flood-proof bridges and solar-powered lightingsystems that are well-suited to the current circumstances in Ha Giang.
Community-based model
Since 2007, ActionAid International in Vietnam has been implementing acommunity-based initiative for the prevention and control of natural disastersin Quan Ba district, Ha Giang province.
Each participating village develops community-based strategies for disasterprevention and control every year using tools for risk assessment.
All communes involved in the programme so far have created plans for preventingand controlling natural disasters. These plans are easily linked to thedistrict agriculture department's operations and budget, as it is the agency incharge of organising local efforts to prepare for and respond to naturaldisasters.
According to Do Quang Dung, Deputy Chairman of the Quang Ba district People'sCommittee, 100% of villages in five communes and one town have adoptedinstruments for risk assessment and public awareness raising in order toproactively prevent and mitigate risks from natural disasters in the area.
Chief Representative of ActionAid International in Vietnam Hoang Phuong Thao saidpreparation, reaction, and recovery are three main goals of ActionAid's naturaldisaster prevention and control programme.
Programmes are carried out in accordance with the circumstances of eachlocality, she said.
Through grassroots projects, ActionAid Vietnam's programmes give organisationsa significant opportunity to contribute to the prevention and control of naturaldisasters, she said./.
VNA
