A flood in Đồng Xoài City of Bình Phước Province early this month. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Chí Tưởng

HÀ NỘI — When it comes to adverse weather conditions, Việt Nam can learn a lot from Japan because the two countries share similar terrains.
That was the message from Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nga, the Director of Science, Technology and International Co-operation Department, at the Việt Nam Disaster Management Authority.
She was speaking at a seminar in Hà Nội on Friday with experts from Japan who travelled to the capital city to share information about disaster management.
The conference is titled the “7th Việt Nam-Japan Co-operation on Disaster Management: Solution and Technology to Mitigate Flashflood and Landslide Damage”.
Co-organised by Việt Nam Disaster Management Authority, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT), the seminar was a forum for Vietnamese and Japanese experts to discuss solutions to minimise damage caused by flash floods, landslides natural disasters.  
Addressing the event, Nga said: “With a long-standing experience in natural disaster prevention and advanced science and technology development compared to other countries in the world, Japan has developed and completed policies, as well as researched modern technologies for managing flash floods and landslides.”
Japan had also been supporting Việt Nam in tech, installing early warning devices and training in human resources, she said.
Masahiko Murase, Director of the Water and Disaster Management Bureau, at MLITT said it was important to develop maps in areas of high-risk for landslides and flash floods, reiterating the importance of warning equipment and keep it maintained.
Vũ Lê Minh from the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation, said Việt Nam was one of a high-risk country for natural disasters.
He said: “With the mountainous terrain accounting for three quarters of the country’s acreage, flash floods and landslides cause the biggest damage to humans and property.
“Most flash-flood incidents occur in remote and sparsely-populated areas. Rescue work in these areas is also challenging.”
At the seminar, Vietnamese experts said because of Việt Nam’s complex terrain and different climates, it was prone to disasters, and it was important to raise awareness of the people who live in high-risk areas. VNS