Identify the cause
From 2011 to present, the Institute of Geophysics has recorded more than 4,500 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 0.5 to 4.7 on the Richter scale at Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant (located in Nam and Bac Tra My districts, Quang Nam).
In addition to earthquakes, the danger of "mountain collapse" is a constant threat to the highland communities of Quang Nam.
In 2017, the province experienced 12 landslides, killing 29 people and burying and damaging many properties; in 2020, there were 5 landslides, killing 30 people and leaving 17 missing, mainly in Phuoc Son, Nam Tra My and Bac Tra My districts. In recent years, the intensity and frequency of landslides have increased.
Village elder Ho Van Xuyen in Phuoc Son district, Quang Nam province, said that the reason for the increasing number of natural disasters is the massive deforestation for logging and gold mining.
In addition, almost all the large rivers upstream now have hydroelectric plants. Earthquakes occur continuously, with strong tremors, making people very insecure, afraid, and not daring to stay in their homes.
According to a report from Quang Nam province, in the period 2011 - 2020, the whole province had more than 100,000 hectares of forest lost and degraded due to deforestation, encroachment on forest land, logging... By 2021, the total area of natural forest in the province continued to decrease by more than 2,850 hectares compared to 2020.
According to Quang Nam leaders, in order to balance the ecosystem, in recent years, the government and people have been making efforts to plant and restore damaged forests. At the same time, they are considering withdrawing, not adding, and completely eliminating from the planning medium and small hydropower projects that cause damage to the natural environment and people's lives.
Mr. Hoang Ngoc Tuan - Director of the Central and Central Highlands Institute of Water Resources Science, said that cutting the road along the mountain will change the slope and the rainwater drainage systems along and across the road, especially the culverts across the road will not be guaranteed. If the calculation is not sufficient, the drainage capacity will not be guaranteed, which will increase the risk of landslides.
“Roads should not be built in areas at risk of landslides. Because the more roads are built, the more landslides will occur, affecting people’s lives. If roads must be built, there must be proper embankments to limit the risk of landslides,” Mr. Tran Duy Dung, Chairman of Nam Tra My District People’s Committee, proposed.
Large-scale population arrangement
To respond to natural disasters, the People's Council of Quang Nam passed Resolution 23/2021 on population arrangement and relocation with a total budget of more than 1,000 billion VND.
During the period 2013 - 2023, the province relocated nearly 2,650 households, concentrated and interspersed nearly 1,200 mountainous households, contributing to proactively preventing and limiting risks caused by natural disasters. Quang Nam strives to resettle nearly 8,000 households in 9 mountainous districts by the end of 2025.
Three months after the terrible landslide in Tra Leng, Nam Tra My (October 2020), which caused Ms. Ho Thi Nan (M'Nong ethnic group) to lose her family and home, the whole family was resettled in Bang La village, and the state provided land and a house was built by a charitable organization. Up to now, life has had many positive changes.
“My old place was in a landslide area, I was very scared. Since I moved here, I feel stable, the house is solid, there is land for production, no more worries about landslides. The school and the clinic are nearby, when I get sick it is easy to get medicine” - Ms. Ho Thi Nan shared.
Similarly, many years ago, the people of Ga’nil village, A Xan commune, Tay Giang district, Quang Nam province, had the habit of living in isolation in the middle of the forest. They built stilt houses along the hillside near Kang stream, both as a place to live and to raise cattle and poultry right next to it. Because it is located in a remote area, close to the Vietnam - Laos border, the road is difficult to access, so the village has no concrete roads, electricity, schools, and is lacking in every way.
“In September 2020, the village suffered a terrible landslide that buried many houses. With the support of 40 million VND from the government, I invested a significant amount more to make the house spacious and sturdy, now there is no need to worry about natural disasters anymore” - Mr. Alang Nhau (local) shared.
According to Mr. Bhling Mia - Secretary of Tay Giang District Party Committee, up to now, the district has arranged stable housing for 4,700 households with 19,000 people, ending the nomadic life, the fear of natural disasters and landslides is no longer. The government also creates livelihoods for people to have stable jobs, the poverty rate has decreased by 50%.
Mr. Le Van Dung - Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee said that in the coming time, the province will continue to review land funds, creating favorable conditions for the arrangement and settlement of residents. Localities must consider the work of arranging and settling residents as the responsibility of local party committees, authorities and organizations.
"This is both a goal and a solution to adapt to climate change, ensuring the safety of people's lives and property during the storm season," said Mr. Dung.
