At the forum “Application of science and technology in natural disaster forecasting and early warning” held on November 25, the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) reported an alarming surge in extreme weather events across the country.

The statistics are staggering: 409 fatalities and disappearances, 727 people injured, and more than 337,000 houses either collapsed, swept away, severely damaged, or unroofed. Nearly 553,500 hectares of rice and crops, along with 376,800 hectares of other plantations, were inundated. The total economic damage has surpassed 85.099 trillion VND.

“From the start of the year to now, 19 storms and tropical depressions have formed in the East Sea - just one shy of the record set in 2017,” said Nguyen Ton Quan, Deputy Head of Community Disaster Management and Communications. Currently, a tropical depression near the Philippines is forecast to strengthen into Storm No. 15 as it enters the East Sea.

Heavy rainfall has caused unprecedented flooding along 13 major rivers in northern and central Vietnam, submerging low-lying urban areas and rural zones alike. Affected regions include Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Khanh Hoa.

In many areas, consecutive disasters - storm after storm, flood after flood - have overwhelmed defenses. Landslides and flash floods in northern and central highland provinces pose serious threats to dams, transportation, infrastructure, and public safety.

Just one recent wave of rain and flooding between November 16–20 in central Vietnam claimed 102 lives, submerged over 200,900 homes, disrupted 119 road segments, and destroyed more than 82,100 hectares of crops and 117,000 hectares of plantations. Initial damage estimates for this single episode are around 13.2 trillion VND (approximately 538 million USD).

Mr. Quan warned that the central region is still at risk of further large-scale floods before year-end, especially as the tropical depression near the Philippines threatens to make landfall in the coming days.

He urged local authorities to take advantage of favorable weather windows to recover from damage and prepare for future disasters.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced plans to enhance forecasting capacity, install more rainfall monitoring stations, and develop detailed risk maps for every village. Localities are advised to relocate residents from high-risk areas and adjust their production models to align with ecological realities.

Ongoing efforts include upgrading dikes, adjusting dam operation protocols to better control flood volumes, expanding international cooperation, and deploying technology to support sustainable recovery for affected communities.

Meanwhile, the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting is upgrading its systems and boosting international collaboration to improve early warning capabilities amid increasingly extreme climate patterns.

Vu Diep