Lao Cai's people-centered policy: Message from Nu Village

Today's Nu Village

Nearly two years after the devastating mountain landslide, the lives of residents in Nu Village, Phuc Khanh Commune, Lao Cai Province, appear to have returned to their former peaceful rhythm. Con Voi Mountain, the source of Nu Village's tragedy, is gradually being covered in fresh green, signaling the return of life. The Nu Stream is being upgraded with state investment, including a solid embankment system to ensure long-term safety.

The fields, once strewn with rocks and debris, have now been partially restored, paving the way for plans to reallocate the land fund for local residents to resume agricultural production.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the State and the community, 40 spacious homes have been built. Since December 2024, 33 households have moved into the new settlement and begun rebuilding their lives. Essential infrastructure, including schools, a community cultural center, electricity, roads, and domestic water, has also been invested in a synchronous manner.

Mr. Hoang Van Diep, Head of Nu Village, said that although all the fertile rice fields along the stream were buried by the floods, local residents have not become dependent on government support. Instead, they have shifted cultivation to upland and hillside areas. While waiting for the rice fields to be rehabilitated, residents have used hillside land to grow short-day crops such as maize, cassava, and vegetables to meet their immediate needs. Many landslide-affected hillside areas have also been utilized for cinnamon growing.

Nevertheless, for Nu Village to achieve sustainable development, restoring the former land fund must remain the top priority. The village’s greatest aspiration is to establish a concentrated economic development model, transforming the area into a fruit-growing zone or a production area for distinctive agricultural raw materials.

"We are determined to develop fruit and livestock products under the Nu Village brand, with high economic value, thereby providing local residents with stable and sustainable livelihoods," Mr. Diep affirmed.

Speaking about efforts to restore agricultural land in the landslide-affected area of Nu Village, Mr. Doan Tran Son, Vice Chairman of the Phuc Khanh Commune People's Committee, said the local authorities are closely following the plan "Restoring and stabilizing production to create sustainable livelihoods for Nu villagers."

The primary focus is on leveling the land to restore nearly 15 ha of agricultural land and more than 7,600 m² of aquaculture land. The V2 orange variety remains the key crop, with a planned cultivation area of 16 ha, including 14 ha to be planted directly in the area previously buried by the landslide.

To implement this plan, local authorities are directing efforts to treat the soil and rock layer by bringing in fertile topsoil from two separate downstream hills, along with the application of lime and organic fertilizer, to restore soil fertility.

"During the first three years, before the orange trees develop full canopies and begin producing fruit, the local authorities will guide residents to intercrop 15 ha of purple taro while expanding livestock farming models involving Bau ducks, Ri chickens, black chickens, sturgeon, and other species. The commune has also linked with Asia Foods Company to encourage residents to grow pineapples on the hillsides. This will help stabilize the soil, create an ecological landscape after the land has been leveled, and provide residents with a stable source of income," Mr. Son shared.

In particular, with the spirit of "turning grief into action," the Phuc Khanh Commune Party Committee issued Resolution No. 08, pledging to build Nu Village into a “Happy Village." A new Nu Village is rising from the ruins, following the province’s orientation toward green, harmonious, distinctive, and happy development while moving toward ecotourism development. Alongside greening the landscape and environment, the cultural traditions and beauty of the Tay ethnic community will continue to be preserved, as residents work together to build a prosperous and united community.

Notes from the residents' disaster evacuation shelter

The pain caused by the 2024 rainy season had barely subsided when natural disasters struck Phuc Khanh again in 2025, causing severe damage. Across the commune, 246 houses were affected or damaged; more than 250 ha of rice, crops, fruit trees, and forestry plantations were destroyed; and 42 essential infrastructure facilities were left devastated or affected by landslides.

In 2026, amid forecasts that floods and heavy rains could continue to develop unpredictably, the Phuc Khanh Commune authorities have identified disaster prevention and control not merely as an urgent task but as a top priority. All response and evacuation plans are being prepared well in advance, with the highest level of vigilance, with the ultimate goal of minimizing damage and ensuring the absolute safety of residents' lives.

According to Mr. Doan Tran Son, field assessments have identified nearly 20 areas at high risk of landslides and flash floods. More than 280 households across the commune are still living in areas at high risk of natural disasters. The lessons learned from past losses have compelled the locality to establish a stronger disaster prevention and control system.

"We resolutely prohibit the construction of houses in high-risk locations. During periods of heavy rain, functional forces will be deployed to maintain a 24-hour watch at designated posts so that residents and their property can be evacuated promptly. In the long term, the local authorities will install water-level warning systems at low-water crossings and in low-lying residential areas to minimize potential damage," Mr. Son affirmed.

To ensure the safety of local residents, the authorities have converted 44 surplus facilities following the administrative merger, including former school sites and community cultural centers, into safe temporary shelters. Following the Nu Village disaster, residents have become more vigilant and now proactively comply with evacuation orders when warnings are issued.

More importantly, Lao Cai Province's recently introduced policy providing VND 250,000/person/day for emergency evacuation has become a strong source of support for local residents. Nu Village and Lao Cai have sent a powerful message: under all circumstances, the authorities place the lives and property of the people above all else.

Vice Chairman of the Phuc Khanh Commune People's Committee Doan Tran Son said: "This is an extremely practical and timely policy, helping ease the burden of daily living expenses for residents during the days they have to leave their homes to avoid storms and floods. Together with housing assistance and compensation for crop losses, the policy has given people in flood-prone areas peace of mind, confidence, and greater faith in the care and support of the Party and the State."

$1 = VND 26,250 - Source: Vietcombank.