Erosion occurred at the Phung An Canal in Soc Trang province’s Ke Sach district in June (Photo: VNA)
Soc Trang (VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang hastaken a number of measures to cope with natural disasters and climate change.
The coastal province is normally affected by saltwater intrusion into rivers inthe dry season and erosion along the sea, rivers and canals.
It has had more than 20 strong winds that flattened or blew off the roofs ofmore than 80 houses, injured one person and damaged nearly 1,000ha of rice sofar this year.
It has suffered erosion on 60 occasions along a total of 3,400 metres of land,with Ke Sach and Cu Lao Dung districts and Vinh Chau town being the worstaffected.
The provincial People’s Committee has allocated 5.3 billion VND (220,000 USD) to KeSach to cope with its erosion along embankments and riverine islands and 3.1billion VND (130,000 USD) to Long Phu district for riverbank erosion in Song Phungand Phu Huu communes.
The province has built saltwater prevention sluices and erosion preventionembankments, and plans two more coastal erosion prevention projects in VinhChau town at a cost of 143 billion VND (6 million USD).
In the first eight months of this year the province took various measures tocombat saltwater intrusion, including warning farmers not to grow a latewinter-spring rice crop in some localities to avoid a shortage of irrigationwater at its end.
Vuong Quoc Nam, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said theprovince would have human resources standing by for preventing naturaldisasters, conduct more disaster-prevention drills and strengthen inspectionand penalties to prevent violations of regulations.
The local Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control,Search and Rescue and Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting will focus onforecasting high tides, dangerous weather, low pressure systems, storms, andsaltwater intrusion.
The province will work to raise public awareness of prevention and control ofnatural disasters.
It will zone residential areas and restructure agricultural production to copewith natural disasters, and relocate households in disaster-prone areas tosafer places./.
The southern region might be hit by powerful storms at the end of this year, a conference on natural disaster prevention and control heard in Ho Chi Minh City late last week.
A project to develop a comprehensive model in building safe community against natural disasters in Vietnam, which is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), was launched during a conference in Hanoi on August 11.
Under the directive, the PM instructed relevant agencies to regularly inspect, supervise and proactively implement disaster prevention, response and rescue measures in line with their assigned roles and mandates, ensuring readiness, avoiding passivity or delays, and maintaining operational continuity amid ongoing political and administrative restructuring at levels.
According to Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Space Centre and head of the project, this is the first study in Vietnam to simultaneously employ Sentinel-2 satellite data, advanced machine learning algorithms, and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform to model and monitor key seawater quality parameters.
The Deposit Return System is seen as a potential instrument for effectively advancing Vietnam’s vision of a circular economy, as outlined in Article 142 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.
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Saigon Hi-Tech Park’s ambitious 50% renewable energy goal far exceeds the city’s 15% target, positioning the park as a trailblazing “living lab” for sustainable energy solutions.
Vietnam's economic losses from natural disasters are estimated to account for 1 to 1.5% of GDP annually - a steep price that will continue to rise unless the country takes strong action.
Wutip, the first storm in the East Sea so far this year, has wreaked havoc across central Vietnam, claiming lives, displacing residents, and causing widespread damage to houses, crops, and infrastructure, the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control reported as of 6:30 pm on June 13.
The tremor occurred at 7:39:46 am (Hanoi time), with the epicentre located at latitude 14.924°N and longitude 108.236°E, at a depth of approximately 8.1 kilometres. The natural disaster risk level was classified as 0 – the lowest on the scale.
Addressing a session on “Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Deputy Minister Hiep emphasised Vietnam's proposal in building sustainable financing in response to natural disasters, which aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction's goals.
Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitments by participating in global sustainable development forums, signing multiple free trade agreements, and attracting support from international partners for the implementation of the SDGs.
The fight against plastic pollution could not succeed through isolated efforts, but it must be a collective endeavour involving the entire political system, businesses, citizens, and the international community, said Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy.
Lang Son Global Geopark, with its outstanding geological values, cultural heritage, and unique natural landscapes, represents a valuable addition to UNESCO’s global geoparks system.
In 2019, Quang Ninh became one of the first localities in Vietnam to launch a province-wide campaign against plastic waste, mobilising the participation of the political system, the business sector, and the general public. Other localities—such as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City—have also effectively implemented waste-sorting initiatives at source, along with models for plastic-free markets and urban areas.
This year’s World Oceans Day on June 8 is themed 'Wonderful Oceans: Sustaining What Sustains Us', while World Environment Day is on June 5 with the theme: 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan, a fire prevention and control plan has been in place since the dry season began, including round-the-clock patrols and rapid-response teams to snuff out fires before they could spread.
Renowned artists including Ha Anh Tuan, Den Vau, and Phan Manh Quynh, along with many directors and attendees, took part in planting hundreds of rare tree species such as mun (Diospyros mun) and cho chi (Parashorea chinensis) in the Thung Bong area of the Cuc Phuong National Park, contributing to forest ecosystem restoration.
The dispatch noted that since the beginning of 2025, natural disasters have claimed 29 lives and left several others missing. A total of 67 houses have collapsed, and 2,342 homes have been unroofed or damaged.
Erosion occurred at the Phung An Canal in Soc Trang province’s Ke Sach district in June (Photo: VNA) 
