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Vietnam: Preparing for the worst |
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Emergencies
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by Nguyen Kim Ngan, World Vision Vietnam communications
In September in the central province of Quang Nam, nearly 300 villagers including children quickly left their home at the foot of a mountain after a warning swept through their village that a landslide was about to hit.
Taking shelter at a local primary school away from the affected zone, they received instant noodles and fresh water to keep up their strength.
The evacuation was part of a disaster simulation, organized by World Vision and local authorities in the landslide-prone area of Tien Phuoc District. This time there was no landslide, but the activities aim to help local people better respond and reduce the losses when natural disasters do occur.
“For years, I haven’t taken part in such a big simulation. My villagers and I’ll be grateful when rescue teams can help us remove from dangerous areas,” Mrs Phan Thi Nho in Hamlet 2 in Tien An Commune said en route to her pre-arranged place of shelter.
“Landslides seriously hit our village in Dau Voi Mountain after the historic flood of 1999. We lost everything as mud covered our houses and fields. If we hadn’t left our home in time, we would have buried under the mud that year.”
Currently, some 200 families live at the foot of Dau Voi mountain but local authorities cannot afford to relocate them away from the danger zone, according to Mr Huong Van Minh, Deputy Head of Tien Phuoc People’s Committee and Head of the district’s Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control.
“A simulation like this,” he said, “is good preparation for local authorities and families as it can help them lessen the impacts of landslides.”
The simulation is a part of Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) Project which was implemented by World Vision’s Tien Phuoc ADP between July 2007 and September 2008. The project was expected to improve natural disaster preparedness and management by communities and authorities in the district.
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