Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has built sixprioritised programmes for natural disaster prevention, which include keycontents of the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, heard aconsultation session in Hanoi on June 27.

The session, the second of its kind, was organisedby the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to collectrecommendation on integrating contents of the Sendai Framework in Vietnam’snational strategy on natural disaster prevention and control by 2030 with avision toward 2050.

The Sendai Framework for 2015 – 2030 wasadopted by UN member states in 2015 at the 3rd UN World Conference on DisasterRisk Reduction in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It set out seventargets and four priorities for action, aiming at substantial reduction ofdisaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health of persons,businesses, communities and countries.

Reports at the function showed that based onthe country’s situation and the Sendai Framework’s targets, Vietnam has beenfocused on efforts to reduce economic losses due particularly to storms, floodsand droughts, via investment in natural disaster risk mitigation.

The six prioritised programmes deal with capacitybuilding for central and local public agencies and communities; managementsystem for natural disasters data; designing relevant plans for differentlevels of authorities; comprehensive risk mitigation for storms, floods, anddroughts; preventative measures for flash flood and landslide; production andlivelihoods restructuring for sustainable development of the Mekong Delta inresponse to climate change.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Hoang Van Thang said more work is needed to complete institutions,policies and laws in order to improve effectiveness of natural disasterprevention.

He noted that so far most attention has beenpaid to response investment instead of  mitigationsolutions, adding that many risks come from unsustainable development, citingthe examples of infrastructure projects that increased disaster risks.

Concerning Vietnam’s prioritised programmefor the Mekong Delta, JICA expert Tachi Kenichiro recommended changing themindset from living with floods to proactively living with floods, inundationand saltwater intrusion.

All types of investments should beaccompanied by changes in lifestyle to adapt to new environmental conditionscaused by climate change, he suggested, adding that consistent planning andimplementation of measures on river water management are also necessary.

An integrated multidisciplinary approachshould be used to design a master plan for the region’s sustainable developmentin adaptation to climate change toward 2030 with a vision toward 2050, theexpert noted.

He also advised the region to upgrade itstracking system for climate change and sea level rise, to update local climatechange scenarios and to increase investments in projects to drain floods,control salt intrusion and landslide and protect mangrove forests.

Attention should also be paid to theintegration of projects from different sectors and the rearrangement ofresidential areas and riverside infrastructure for disaster risk reduction, headded.

Takeya Kimio, technical adviser for the JICAPresident, said since the formation of the Sendai action framework, Vietnam hasmade efforts to improve its natural disaster resilience.

JICA wants to access information on Vietnam’shigh-level strategy based on the framework, he stressed.

According to theexpert, in the first five years of Vietnam undertaking the framework, JICA willsupport the country in completing relevant institutions and designing andimplementing action plans.

The assistance will continue afterwards instrengthening the national strategy for natural risk reduction and buildingplans at the local level.-VNA