Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam hasexerted efforts to improve the accuracy of storm forecasts as exact informationhelps people minimise losses.
The statement was made by deputy head ofthe Vietnam Disaster Management Authority Vu Xuan Thanh at a conference inHanoi on October 25 to look back 20 years since Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam.
Thanh said that in recent years, thequality of storm forecasts was improved, with information about the storm’s developmentsprovided before 72 hours compared with the 24 hours in 1997.
Drastic measures have been taken to raisefishermen’s awareness of following authorities’ directions, while more capitalhas been poured into building shelter facilities, recovering protection forestsand upgrading the dyke system.
Dang Quang Tinh, former director of the Departmentof Dyke Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,noted that huge losses of Typhoon Linda were caused by the subjectivity in disasterprevention and control.
Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam on November 2-3,1997, affecting 21 southern localities. It claimed 778 lives, left 2,123missing and 1,232 injured.
The typhoon also made 2,897 boats sunk and316 others missing, 107,892 houses destroyed and 204,564 houses damaged, and323,050ha rice paddies inundated. Almost all coastal dykes in the Mekong Deltaprovinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre andTien Giang were damaged.
The asset losses were estimated at nearly7.2 trillion VND (316.8 million USD).-VNA
The National Centre for Hydrometeorogical Forecasting warned that two or four storms and low pressures will arise in the East Sea in September, and one or two of which may affect the country’s mainland.
About six to eight storms and low pressures are forecast to operate in the East Sea in the rest of the year, with two or three of them directly affecting Vietnam, especially the central region.
The flooding triggered by the Doksuri storm that swept through the central region of Vietnam 10 days ago continued to isolate a community in a remote area of Quang Binh province.
Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh has asked Thanh Hoa province to keep a close watch on developments of natural disasters and scale up vigilance in the face of the complex situation of floods and storms.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Flooding in Vietnam (Photo: VNA) 
