Laws of Vietnam

To actively cope with natural disasters and ensure safety for the life and property of the people and State property, the Prime Minister instructs the Ministries, branches and the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government to strictly implement the Ordinance on Prevention and Fight Against Floods and Storms, and the Ordinance on Dykes, by carrying out satisfactorily and fully all the work assigned in this field, particularly the following work:

1. Organizing the summing up of experiences from the prevention and fight against floods and storms in 1994; consolidating the Steering Committees for preventing and fighting floods and storms in various branches and at various level; working out plans and measures to prevent and fight floods and storms, and minimize natural disasters in 1995 in an effective and efficient way conforming to the characteristics of each locality with the aim of minimizing the losses in lives and property.

2. Directing thorough inspection and evaluation of the present state of the system of dykes, stone embankments, sluice-gates, auxiliary embankments, temporary dams, water reservoirs, and other projects, to prevent and fight floods and storms; urgently completing the plan to consolidate projects, particularly those projects damaged by natural disasters, in 1994. Consolidating the forces to protect dykes and fight floods; organize training; increasing patrols to detect and immediately remove the potential dangers.

The provinces along the Day River should prepare plans to take order for the discharge of flood water into their localities in case of necessity.

The coastal provinces should provide guidance to the fishermen on measures to prevent and fight against storms, especially those fishermen in the lagoons of Central Vietnam and those engaged in deep-sea fishing.

The mountain provinces must have plans to help the local people prevent and ward off floods in susceptible areas.

3. Summing up experiences from the violations of the Ordinance on Dykes in Hanoi, the People's Committees of the provinces and cities with dykes must concentrate on directing the classification and definite handling of the violations of the Ordinance on Dykes that have been existing for a long time now, promptly detect and prevent any actions that show signs of violating the Ordinance from the outset, with the aim of ensuring safety for the dykes and restoring law and order in the management of dykes.

Pursuant to the Ordinance on Dykes, the Presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities shall issue decision assigning the concrete tasks, powers and responsibility for the management and protection of dykes in their localities to the administration at lower levels; at the same time, they must take measures to continue disseminating widely the Ordinance on Dykes and the Ordinance on Prevention and Fight Against Floods and Storms to help everybody understand and implement them, and check their implementation.

4. The Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry Communications and Transport, and the Ministry of Health shall have to closely cooperate with the localities in timely making plans to prevent and ward off floods in the Mekong River delta.

The Ministry of Water Resources should organize the forecast of landslides along either side of the Tien and Hau Rivers for use as a basis in arranging measures to prevent and ward off possible losses.

5. The Ministries, branches and localities within their powers and responsibility must prepare their forces, equipment and materials for timely rescue, and quickly overcome the consequences in case of storms and floods, to stabilize production and the people's life.

The Central Steering Committee for prevention and fight against floods and storms should inspect and urge the branches at the central level and the localities to strictly implement this Directive and make regular reports to the Prime Minister.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister