On the morning of May 29, the Cao Bang Provincial Hydrometeorological Station issued a warning of flash floods, landslides and land subsidence due to prolonged heavy rain in many areas in the province.
According to records from 0:00 to 6:00 a.m. on the same day, in Quang Hoa, Thach An and Ha Lang districts, moderate to very heavy rain occurred. Some places recorded heavy rainfall such as Dai Son commune 93.6 mm, Hoa Thuan Hydropower Plant (Quang Hoa) 89.8 mm, Duc Long commune (Thach An) 80.2 mm and Thi Hoa commune (Ha Lang) 91 mm.
Soil moisture models show that many areas have reached nearly or completely saturated levels, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides. A level 1 warning about natural disaster risks has been issued.
Although the rainy season has not officially begun, the mountainous terrain makes Cao Bang province always vulnerable to extreme weather phenomena.
Many people in Cao Bang still cannot forget the particularly serious landslide in Nguyen Binh district in 2024, which killed and left dozens of people on the bus missing.
Ms. Nong Thi Hieu, a resident of Phan Thanh commune, Nguyen Binh district, shared: "People are very afraid of landslides, last year's passenger bus accident that killed so many people haunted everyone".
Faced with increasingly complex weather developments and severe consequences from natural disasters, the People's Committee of Cao Bang province has just issued Plan No. 1548/KH-UBND to implement the Project "Early warning of landslides and flash floods".
Accordingly, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to preside over and coordinate with departments, branches and local authorities to investigate, survey, and build a database on landslides and flash floods; at the same time, prepare a risk zoning map and a disaster risk zoning map with a ratio of 1:10,000 or greater (1:5,000, 1:2,000) for locations at high risk.
Cao Bang province identified 47 key areas that need additional surveys. In addition, localities are also assigned the task of proactively reviewing and updating practical information to adjust the risk map to better suit the on-site situation.
To implement the project, Cao Bang province will receive, manage and exploit early warning products transferred by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; at the same time, promote propaganda and raise public awareness of landslide and flash flood prevention.
A real-time information and warning system will also be built to support people to quickly access natural disaster information and proactively respond to areas at risk of landslides and flash floods.
Talking with reporters, a representative of the Department of Agriculture and Environment highly appreciated plan No. 1548. A representative of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that climate change is increasingly affecting the locality.
If there is an early warning system and it is handed over to localities, the response to natural disasters will be more proactive, minimizing damage significantly.
