Environment
JICA support for easing flood risks
  • | VET | August 11, 2017 02:01 PM
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement with the Vietnamese Government on August 10 to provide grant aid of up to 1.844 billion Yen ($16.77 million) for the Project for Emergency Reservoir Operations and Effective Flood Management Using Water-Related Disaster Management Information System.

The project will construct hydrological observation facilities to monitor water levels at rivers and dams and rainfall in the basin of the Huong River, which flows through central Vietnam, and will also construct a water-related disaster management information system to mitigate flood disasters in the general Huong River Basin.

The coastal area of central Vietnam is often struck by typhoons, resulting in storm and landslide disasters each year. Disaster risk reduction is an important challenge from the perspective of preventing human casualties and economic losses.

The Huong River Basin in Thua Thien Hue province is subject to frequent flood disasters due to inappropriate water releases from dams during torrential rain.

The effective operation of three dams in the basin (Binh Dien, Huong Dien, and Ta Trach) and precise river management during heavy rain are priorities under a Prime Ministerial directive issued in 2013 on proper dam management and stronger safety measures.

The project will increase the number of hydrological observation points that monitor water levels of rivers and river flow volumes in the Huong River Basin and shorten the intervals at which rainfall and water level information is disseminated from 60 to ten minutes, thereby contributing to an improved capacity to manage dams and rivers, leading to the prevention and mitigation of water-related disasters.

The agreement was signed in the context of northern Vietnam suffering torrential rain and floods. More than 30 people have died or are missing following damaging rain and floods in northern mountainous provinces over the last three days.

An interim report from the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control showed that continuous rain and floods in Bac Kan, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, and Son La provinces have killed numerous people.

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