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| City leaders chairing the conference at the Hue City virtual venue |
At the Hue City venue, Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan and Standing Vice Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee Hoang Hai Minh co-chaired the conference.
The meeting focused on assessing damage caused by natural disasters in 2025, while identifying existing shortcomings and challenges, and setting out objectives and solutions for disaster prevention and control in 2026. Various presentations from ministries, agencies, and localities also highlighted key lessons learned in disaster response and recovery.
For 2026, key priorities include reviewing, supplementing, and completing the legal framework on disaster prevention and control; enhancing the effectiveness of prevention efforts; improving the quality of forecasting, warning, monitoring, and disaster surveillance; strengthening the application of technology and international cooperation; promoting communication to raise public awareness; and proactively implementing post-disaster recovery efforts.
As a locality frequently affected by heavy rains, flooding, and storms, Hue City has identified 9 key priorities for 2026. In addition to mobilizing resources, the city is developing disaster prevention and control plans early and proactively in line with the “four on-the-spot” principle, while also investing in infrastructure and strengthening public communication to enhance the effectiveness of disaster response efforts.
In his directive remarks at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that natural disasters are becoming increasingly complex, intense, and unpredictable. Over the past year, the country was hit by 15 storms, many of which affected the central region; overlapping storms, floods, and tornadoes caused significant losses in lives and property. In 2025 alone, natural disasters resulted in damages exceeding VND 100 trillion. Nevertheless, the swift and coordinated response of the entire political system played a crucial role in significantly mitigating the overall damage.
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| In 2025, heavy rains and flooding caused severe damage to rural roads in A Luoi 4 Commune |
At the same time, the Prime Minister also pointed out shortcomings and limitations in disaster response efforts. Hence, he urged ministries, sectors, and localities to conduct thorough reviews and draw lessons to ensure more effective implementation in 2026, while also stressing the need to clearly identify what has been achieved and what remains unaddressed, with particular emphasis on strengthening leadership, direction, and implementation, thereby deriving practical lessons for disaster prevention and control.
According to the Prime Minister, a critical lesson is to act swiftly and decisively on relocating residents to safe areas without hesitation. Populations in high-risk zones must be evacuated early to avoid complacency and minimize risks. Post-disaster recovery should be carried out in a spirit of solidarity, ensuring rapid, timely, and precise implementation. With a proactive, forward-looking approach to disaster prevention and control, localities in 2026 are required to thoroughly review and refine their response plans, making them more detailed and practical, while ensuring adequate preparedness to minimize the impact of natural disasters.