After initial drafting by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development during 2010-2011, the draft Law on Disaster Preparedness and Prevention has recently been reviewed by the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment (CSTE). The six previous version of the draft law have already been the subject of consultation. The latest workshop was held to solicit further comments on the law from other members of the National Assembly, government departments and the Vietnam Red Cross, and to seek input from the United Nations Development Programme and the IFRC. Hosted by the CSTE, the workshop brought together approximately 70 participants, including National Assembly representatives from various provinces, representatives of various government departments such as the Department of Hydrology and Climate Change and a range of different Provincial Flood and Storm Committees.
During the workshop, Mr Doan Van Thai, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC), urged the drafters of the law to consider incorporating a new chapter on the receipt of international assistance, as well as the provision of assistance by Vietnam to other countries. He also sought to ensure that relevant references to VNRC were included, and the law adequately addressed community-based disaster preparedness and risk reduction. These comments were supported by other participants at the workshop.
During his closing remarks, Mr Hoang Van Thang, Vice Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, noted the ‘very valid point’ about providing for situations where Vietnam may wish to provide help to its neighbours. The Chair of the CSTE, Mr Phan Xuan Dung, then drew together the comments from the workshop participants, reminding them of the need for Vietnam to be prepared for large-scale disasters like the 2011 triple disaster in Japan and the recent earthquake in China.