Ministry of Agriculture and Environment urgently requests locality to reinforce sea-facing dyke systems

On July 20, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued official Dispatch No. 4596/BNNMT-ĐĐ, requesting 13 provinces and cities including Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh to implement urgent measures to ensure the safety of dike systems in response to typhoon No. 3 and potential flooding.

The dispatch emphasized that typhoon Wipha is forecast to make landfall while tidal levels along the coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Nghe An are at their seasonal peak. This poses a direct threat to the safety of sea dikes and river mouth dike systems.

The storm is also expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall and potential flooding across river systems. At the same time, water levels in major reservoirs are already near their pre-flood peak, and rivers such as the Red river and Thai Binh river are running high. These combined factors pose significant risks to the structural integrity of dike systems across the northern and north-central provinces and cities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has requested the People’s Committees of provinces and cities to direct relevant agencies and units to strictly implement Prime Minister’s Official Telegram No. 112/CĐ-TTg dated July 19, 2025, and the Ministry’s own Official Telegram No. 4594/CĐ-BNNMT dated the same day, regarding the response to typhoon Wipha and heavy rainfall.

Localities are to inspect, review, and implement on-site dike protection plans, focusing on safeguarding critical and vulnerable dike sections, locations where incidents have occurred but have not yet been resolved, and dike works currently under construction to ensure safety especially for sea-facing dikes in areas expected to be impacted by the typhoon. In particular, all at-risk sections must be urgently reinforced before the storm makes landfall.

Authorities are also instructed to strengthen inspections of sea and river dikes, and to strictly follow patrol and surveillance procedures to protect dike infrastructure during the flood season, in accordance with Circular No. 01/2009/TT-BNN dated January 6, 2009, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment). This is to ensure early detection and timely response to any incidents.

In addition, resources such as manpower, materials, equipment, and vehicles must be prepared for emergency dike protection. Authorities must conduct field checks of preparedness and actively respond to potential incidents, following the four-on-the-spot principle (on-the-spot command, forces, logistics, and materials) to ensure the safety of dike systems.

The telegram also urges authorities to inform vessel owners, infrastructure operators, and the general public, and to implement measures to protect people, property, and infrastructure in coastal areas and riverbanks. Evacuation plans must be ready for residents in high-risk areas, particularly coastal zones and riverbanks without dike protection.

Finally, localities must closely monitor the development of the storm, rainfall, and flood conditions, as well as the status of dike systems. Any incidents must be promptly reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (via the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority) for coordinated response and direction.