This morning, during the National Assembly’s session on the socio-economic situation, multiple delegates highlighted the increasingly complex and devastating natural disasters affecting many provinces and proposed new response mechanisms.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Phong), citing government reports, noted that in 2025 alone, Vietnam had experienced 16 storms and tropical depressions, more than 200 landslides, and thousands of hectares of crops submerged by floods and tidal surges.

The toll of these disasters reflects not only the severity of climate change but also the limitations of local emergency response capabilities.

Vietnam currently operates communal-level Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue Committees.

However, the delegate pointed out that these teams are thinly staffed, operate on a part-time basis, and lack both training and equipment.

Nga suggested that it is time to establish a “people’s relief force” - a grassroots rescue network trained in basic emergency skills and equipped to operate alongside professional teams during disasters.

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Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga: Vietnam could adopt community-based rescue models from other countries, especially as disasters become more frequent and unpredictable. Photo: National Assembly

She emphasized that this should not merely be a volunteer group but a key component of the country’s civil defense and climate adaptation strategy.

“This force will stand on the front lines - saving others and saving themselves,” she said.

She cited global examples such as Japan’s BOSAI network, established after the 2011 disaster, which now spans 80% of the country’s localities, and the Philippines, where each village maintains trained teams capable of basic first aid, rescue, and evacuation.

“These models have drastically reduced disaster-related casualties and empowered communities to act proactively rather than rely passively on external help,” she explained.

Nga proposed forming civil relief teams at the commune, ward, village, and neighborhood levels under local Disaster Prevention and Control Committees.

These teams would receive regular training in rescue, first aid, and evacuation skills, and be equipped with life jackets, inflatable boats, rescue kits, medical supplies, and communication radios.

Natural disasters no longer 'unusual occurrences'

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Floodwaters in Hoi An’s ancient town forced locals and tourists to evacuate by boat. Photo: Ha Nam

Delegate Dang Thi Bao Trinh (Da Nang) emphasized that in recent weeks alone, Vietnam has endured successive rounds of severe flooding and storms.

Last month, prolonged rains devastated provinces in the north. Before recovery efforts could take place, central regions were struck by deep floods, cutting off communities and forcing mass evacuations.

According to Trinh, while extreme weather used to be centered in central Vietnam, today’s storms and landslides are spreading across the northern midlands and mountainous areas - with greater frequency, intensity, and destruction.

“Villages are buried, roads are severed, and residents battle floodwaters once again,” she said.

“This is a warning bell: natural disasters are no longer irregular anomalies - they are an ever-present national challenge.”

She stressed the need to re-evaluate environmental impact assessments, reexamine development planning, and manage residential infrastructure in harmony with natural laws.

“Mountain disasters result from the combined effects of nature and human activity,” she said, citing landslides caused by road construction, mining, and hydropower projects.

These activities weaken ecological barriers and destabilize fragile geological formations, “turning each rainstorm into a brutal stress test on the environment’s resilience.”

She urged that natural disasters be viewed not only as climatic events, but also as the cumulative result of unchecked exploitation against natural laws.

Trinh called on the government to create and publicize landslide and disaster warning maps for mountain regions, enabling proactive response by local authorities and residents.

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Delegate Le Thi Thanh Lam. Photo: National Assembly

She also stressed that all construction in mountainous areas must be structurally designed to withstand natural hazards.

Delegate Le Thi Thanh Lam (Can Tho) echoed these concerns, noting that in the first nine months of 2025, disasters have become more unpredictable and severe than in previous years.

She urged the government to direct localities to apply science and technology, especially artificial intelligence, to enhance disaster prevention and response.

Rescue information platforms have already proven effective in identifying areas needing support during emergencies.

“There is a need to develop shared software systems involving agencies, functional sectors, local authorities, and the public,” she said.

“These systems could map risk zones, analyze the safety level of each household, and suggest preventive solutions.”

Such digital tools, she added, would help shift Vietnam’s disaster strategy from reactive response to proactive prevention.

Tran Thuong