"Natural disasters are objective, but for what could have been prevented and was not, responsibility must be clearly defined," Vice Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stressed while chairing a meeting on responding to typhoon Koto on the morning of 26/11.

Alongside clarifying natural and human factors, the Vice Prime Minister noted the need for a thorough assessment of the causes behind the recent historic floods, including unusual patterns, structural factors like dam breaches, infrastructure failures, flash floods, debris flows, or landslides. The effectiveness of search and rescue operations and the accountability of local authorities in ensuring response capabilities and reporting to the Central Government for support also need clarification.

While the recent flood impact in Central Vietnam remains severe, the approaching typhoon Koto will add further pressure. Therefore, local authorities must update information, provide accurate forecasts, and activate regulations for vessel management, prohibiting operations in dangerous areas.

For areas at risk of landslides, the Vice Prime Minister proposed maintaining level 4 disaster risk response scenarios, especially in mountainous regions. Flood, flash flood, landslide, and geological hazard maps across 34 provinces and cities need re-evaluation. Forecast maps are the primary tools for developing scenarios and response plans; without them, forecasting will be difficult.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, along with scientific and hydro-meteorological forecasting agencies, must complete flood maps, ensuring information is updated down to the commune and ward level so that local authorities and residents can proactively prevent and mitigate risks. Localities must rely on historical flood maps to identify low-lying areas, accept living with natural disasters, and prepare appropriate response plans.

Regarding hydropower reservoir operation procedures, the Vice Prime Minister directed a review of reservoir owners' responsibilities and inter-reservoir procedures, ensuring timely information reaches downstream areas. "Without controlled regulation measures, sudden flood discharges can cause flash floods, endangering residents," he stated.

Agencies must also establish a seamless rain and flood warning information mechanism from the central government to local levels, from provinces to communes, and down to hamlets and villages, so that every household receives timely disaster warnings and has time to evacuate to safety.

Vice Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. *Photo: Minh Khoi*

At the meeting, Mai Van Khiem, Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, reported that as of 8h this morning, typhoon Koto was at level 8, with gusts at level 10, located approximately 400 km east-northeast of the Truong Sa archipelago.

Khiem assessed a high probability that the typhoon would intensify over the next two days, reaching a maximum of levels 10-11, with gusts at levels 13-14, before weakening. However, a notable point is typhoon Koto's unusually long duration at sea, approximately 4-5 days, and its slow movement.

According to Khiem, the main scenario is that the typhoon will change direction when it is approximately 450-500 km from Khanh Hoa - Gia Lai on 30/11. Strong inland winds are considered unlikely. Rain may occur from Da Nang to Lam Dong on 1-2/12, with accumulations of about 50-100 mm, concentrated in coastal areas.

The worst-case scenario is the typhoon making landfall in the South Central Coast region as a tropical depression, with weak winds and rainfall of approximately 150-200 mm, primarily along the coast.

The Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center recommended issuing warnings for strong winds affecting vessels, rafts, and marine aquaculture; and for the risk of flash floods and landslides due to soil saturation following the recent heavy rains and floods.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that two prominent characteristics of typhoon Koto are consistent across all forecast scenarios. First, the typhoon's unusually long presence at sea, nearly 6 days. Second, it will cause rain in the area from Gia Lai to Khanh Hoa; although the rainfall might be low, the risk of landslides remains very high due to pre-saturated soil. "Flooding may not be extensive, but the risk of landslides is certain and requires special attention from local authorities," Hiep said.

Recent floods in the South Central Coast resulted in 91 deaths, deep inundation in many areas, and hundreds of households evacuated. Damages are estimated at over 13,000 billion VND, with the most severe impact in Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa, where hundreds of homes collapsed or were damaged, and infrastructure was washed away.

Vu Tuan