Quang Nam, November 2, 2019 – On the occasion of World Tsunami Awareness Day, the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a tsunami response drill with the participation of nearly 500 students, teachers and staff in Thai Phien Secondary School in Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province. Representatives from the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, UNDP, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Quang Nam provincial Department of Education and Training, provincial Border Defense Forces, Red Cross, provincial Women’s Union, provincial Youth’s Union, and leaders of coastal districts also attended the drill.

Viet Nam is a disaster-prone country where natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, droughts, and landslides occur frequently, causing serious damage. In the past two decades, natural disasters in Vietnam resulted in nearly 300 deaths and average economic losses of 1-1.5% GDP annually.

According to the National Institute of Geophysics, if an earthquake occurs in the fault zone in Manila, Philippines, there is a potential risk of tsunami; within approximately two hours of the earthquake, tsunami waves would affect 13 Central coastal provinces and cities in Viet Nam, including Quang Nam.

To proactively respond to tsunami risk, Viet Nam has invested in building multi-purpose disaster warning stations (including tsunami warning stations). These stations have been constructed and installed in Da Nang and Quang Nam provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued procedures for pilot operation of the above-mentioned warning system, including the procedure for tsunami warnings.

“Children, the country’s future owners, are the group being most vulnerable to natural disasters. They need equipping with knowledge and skills to protect themselves from natural hazards. Response to disaster risks including tsunamis should be integrated into the teaching curriculum of schools at all levels in Central coastal communes” said Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, Vice Manager of the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

In 2018, with support from the Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme and the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control successfully conducted trainings and drills to raise awareness of tsunami risks and disaster risks among more than 5,500 students and teachers in five schools in coastal provinces of Vietnam.

Ms. Sitara Syed, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme emphasized that “School drills have been proved to be very effective in reducing the impacts of tsunamis and other disasters.  It is important to not underestimate this kind of disaster; and especially we need to put in place a good school tsunami response plan, which should specify each task, designated person, timing and evacuation process.  At the same time, there need to be frequent drills to test the plan and to strengthen awareness and skills of students and teachers.”

The “Schools of Son Tinh” Campaign is a key component of the “Strengthening School Preparedness for Tsunamis in Asia and the Pacific” Project funded by the Government of Japan in 18 Asia – Pacific countries including: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.

This Project contributes to the objectives of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, i.e. to reduce the number of deaths, or number of affected people, and economic loss due to natural or man-made risks. This Project also aims to achieve UNDP’s objective to help vulnerable regions respond to climate change by integrating disaster prevention and control measures into the national strategies.

For more information, please contact:
Phan Huong Giang
Media and Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org; mob: 0948466688