The scourge of last year's storm
In Dong Tam 16 Residential Group, Yen Bai Ward, the high hills surrounding the residential area used to be a wind and sun barrier. But since storm No. 3 in September 2024, when hundreds of cubic meters of rock and soil collapsed, that image has turned into a obsession.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Du - a man in his 30s, pointed to the long crack running behind the house, exclaiming: "In the past, after building the house, I thought I would have a place to shelter from the sun and rain all my life. If anyone expected it, if it rained, they would take shelter at home, while I had to run away. One rainy day and night, the whole family went to sleep at a friend's house because the hillside was soaked with landslides at all times."
Mr. Dang Van Quyen - Head of Dong Tam 16 Residential Group said that there are currently more than 30 households in the area at high risk of landslides.
"We hope to have a long-term plan so that people can live with peace of mind.Every rainy season, no one in the group can sleep well, said Mr. Quyen.
Not far away, in Minh Tan 7 Residential Group, Mr. Do The Than (68 years old) and more than 40 households live near the hillside. With difficult finances and poor age, he can only "watch the sky" when it rains heavily.
"In the past few months, ward officials have regularly come to encourage and remind. Whenever there is a warning, my family is ready to evacuate immediately," Mr. Than expressed.
Chairman of Yen Bai Ward People's Committee Phung Tien Thanh said that the ward has completed the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, assigned specific tasks to each member, reviewed equipment, and relocation plans.
"We require construction works to relocate camps and machinery from the danger zone. People and property must not be damaged when storms hit" - Mr. Thanh said.
Difficulties of all kinds
After the historic natural disaster in 2024, the Government has supported thousands of billions of VND to repair infrastructure and build resettlement areas.
Mr. Nguyen The Phuoc - Permanent Vice Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee - said that more than 50% of the capital is for resettlement, many projects are being implemented in Van Yen, Van Chan, Luc Yen, Mu Cang Chai...
But the journey to bring people to a safe place is not easy. According to Mr. Phuoc, the terrain is steep, the land fund is suitable, and the infrastructure cost is high. The demand for resettlement is very high, but each area can only solve a few dozen to a few hundred households.
Another challenge is livelihood. Resettlement areas are often far from old fields, travel costs increase, greatly affecting income. Therefore, the province prioritizes interspersed resettlement plans, supporting people to move to existing residential areas safely, reduce infrastructure costs and keep close to production sites.
Currently, Lao Cai has integrated natural disaster prevention and control into the development planning, invested in early warning systems, socialized the installation of rain and water level measurement stations. At the same time, it is recommended that the Central Government support more accurate landslide risk zoning maps, equipment for monitoring and training grassroots staff" - the Standing Vice Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee shared.
Land of many natural disasters
Lao Cai has an area of over 13,257km2, complex terrain, and large slopes. The two main rivers, the Red River and the Chay River, and more than 100 streams are affected by floods in upstream China. This locality is regularly affected by 19/22 types of natural disasters, from severe cold, heavy rain to landslides, flash floods.
According to statistics, in the first 7 months of 2025, floods have killed 6 people, injured 4 people, and affected more than 1,100 houses.
