US Government supports flood management project
Ha Noi, Feb. 10 (VNA) -- The US Government is to grant alsmost USD 1 million to support the on-going Viet Nam Government-United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Disaster Management System.
The four-year project will draw natural disaster zoning maps to identify flood-prone areas and residential areas in central Quang Binh, Quang Tri,Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces and Da Nang city.
The maps will show areas safe from flooding, locations where flood-refuge buildings are needed and areas where disaster warning is most urgently required.
In addition, flood alert systems will be installed for the region's flash flood-prone river basins. These systems will provide 12-hour warning to help protect lives and property.
One of the systems will be installed in the Huong, Perfume, River basin to protect the former imperial city of Hue, a world cultural heritage site.
The original joint UNDP-European Community Humanitarian Office project began to establish strategies for disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation in Viet Nam in June 1998.
The project has increased Viet Nam's capacity to respond to natural disasters and taught local officials to train school children in disaster preparedness in selected provinces.--VNA
