Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hasasked sectors and localities to devise plans coping with each kind of naturaldisasters.

During a nationalteleconference on the prevention and control of natural disasters and searchand rescue 2020, PM Phuc lauded the entire political system for promptly engagingin the effort over the past time.

He also hailed more accurate disaster forecast that has been regularly updated.

Last year, theGovernment spent more than 10.3 trillion VND (447 million USD) from the central budget and othersources to support post-disaster recovery.

Thanks to sci-techapplication and international cooperation, a number of solutions have beenrecently taken to ease drought in the Mekong Delta, he said.

In face of thecomplicated developments of natural disasters in the near future, the PM urgedministries, agencies and localities to fully grasp and follow the Secretariat’sDecree No.42-CT/TW on strengthening Party leadership on disaster prevention andcontrol, as well as strengthen disaster prevention and control agencies from thecentral to grassroots levels, and specify responsibilities of officials andcadres in the work.

He asked for paying attention to ensuring thesafety and lives of people, dyke and irrigation works, especially in thenorthern mountainous, central, Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta regions.

The PM called for prioritising resourcesfrom the State budget, issuing policies to improve the efficiency of theeffort.

The Central Steering Committee onDisaster Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment were assigned to ensure the safety of 200 dykes and irrigationworks, cultivate crops adapted with disasters, ensure food supply, particularlyrice to guarantee national food safety.

The National Committee on Disaster Responseand Search and Rescue and the Defence Ministry were responsible for poolingequipment to cope with disasters, and hold response drills.

Since the beginning of this year, thecountry has suffered seven downpours and hailstorms, serious drought and saltwaterintrusion in the Mekong Delta, 11 earthquakes and landslides.

As of the late April, disasters left 11dead and missing, destroyed and damaged more than 44,000 houses, over 100,000 haof rice and crops. The total economic loss was estimated at over 3.1trillion VND.

According to the National Centerfor Hydrometeorology Forecast, about 11-13 stor🍒ms and tropical low pressurewill hit the East Sea between no✅w and the year-end, 5-6 of them will makelandfall in the central and southern regions. Drought and saltwater intrusionwill become more serious than in the 2015-2016 period./.