Activities of remediation of natural disaster consequences according to the law in Vietnam

Activities of remediation of natural disaster consequences according to the law in Vietnam (Source: Internet)

1. Activities of remediation of natural disaster consequences in Vietnam

According to Article 30 of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control 2013 (amended in 2020), disaster recovery activities include:

-  Continuing to organize search and rescue work and provide relief, food, curative medicines and other essentials as well as psychological assistance to stabilize people’s lives;

- Making statistics of and assessing damage caused by natural disasters, needs for relief and support, and proposing plans to remedy consequences;

- Providing plant varieties, animal breeds, supplies, equipment and  essential fuels to restore production;

- Providing supplies and essential commodities and taking price management and market stabilization measures;

- Assuring environmental sanitation, and preventing and controlling epidemics in areas affected by natural disasters;

- Repairing, restoring and upgrading natural disaster prevention and control works, transport, communication, irrigation and power works, schools, health establishment and public infrastructure facilities; conducting public information to raise community awareness and capacity of natural disaster prevention and control.

2. Forms, beneficiaries of, and resources for relief and support in Vietnam

* Emergency relief

Emergency relief is specified in Clause 1, Article 32 of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control 2013 (amended in 2020), specifically as follows:

- Emergency relief is provided right after natural disasters occur and during natural disasters, focusing on the provision of food, curative medicines and other essentials to stabilize people’s lives, clean the environment and prevent and control epidemics in areas affected by natural disasters;

- Relief beneficiaries include injured persons and households of dead persons; households and individuals that lose their homes, have no food, drinking water and other essentials and face life and health risks, paying special attention to vulnerable groups;

- Resources for emergency relief include food, goods, medicines, environment and water treatment chemicals in national reserves; annual cost contingency from the state budget; natural disaster management funds and voluntary contributions of organizations and individuals; international assistance.

* Medium-term support 

Specifically, in Clause 2, Article 32 of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control 2013 (amended in 2020), medium-term support is prescribed as follows:

- Medium-term support is provided following emergency relief, focused on the provision of plant varieties, animal breeds, supplies, equipment and essential fuels for the restoration of production; provision of supplies and essential commodities and the application of price management and market stabilization measures; repair and restoration of damaged buildings, natural disaster prevention and control works, transport, communication, irrigation, water supply and power works, schools, health foundation and other essential infrastructure facilities;

- Beneficiaries of medium-term support include farming organizations and farmers suffering from damage; state agencies, armed forces units; non- business units and enterprises having works specified at Point a of this Clause;

- Resources for medium-term assistance include the State’s reserved food and goods; state budget; natural disaster management funds and voluntary contributions of organizations and individuals; international assistance.

* Long term support

Long-term support is specified as follows:

- Long-term support is provided following medium-term support, focused on the repair, restoration and upgrading of natural disaster prevention and control works, transport and public infrastructure facilities; and public information to raise community awareness and capacity of natural disaster prevention and control;

- Beneficiaries of long-term support include organizations, individuals, state agencies, non-business units and public-utility enterprises suffering from damage caused by natural disasters;

- Resources for long-term assistance include state budget and voluntary contributions of organizations and individuals; international assistance;

- People's Committees at all levels shall base themselves on the situation of damage and natural disasters in localities to work out support plans and allocate resources for implementation.

(Clause 3, Article 32 of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control 2013 (amended in 2020))

3. Responsibility to remedy natural disaster consequences in Vietnam

According to Clause 2, Article 30 of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control 2013 (amended in 2020), responsibilities for performing disaster recovery activities are prescribed as follows:

- Organizations, households and individuals shall take the initiative in remedying natural disaster consequences with regard to infrastructure facilities and properties under their management; participate in and support the remediation of natural disaster consequences as mobilized by competent agencies;

- Local People's Committees and commanding committees for natural disaster prevention and control and search and rescue at all levels shall organize remediation of natural disaster consequences in local according to Clause 1 of this Article;

- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies shall take the initiative in remedying natural disaster consequences within the scope of their management and participate in remedying natural disaster consequences upon request;

- The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control shall summarize damage assessment reports and needs for relief and support from localities, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies; direct the remediation of natural disaster consequences and report on measures and resources to support the remediation of natural disaster consequences to the Government.

Thanh Rin

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