Community-based policing of natural disasters in Vietnam: analysing the ‘four-on-the-spot’ model

Figures & data

Table 1. Listing natural disaster cases in Vietnam used in the article.

No.	Time	Natural disasters	Situation overview
1	2012	Super typhoon Son Tinh (No.8)	On the night of 29 October, Typhoon Son-Tinh moved northeast and became a tropical depression in Mong Cai district, Quang Ninh province. A total of 11 people were killed or are missing because of the typhoon; a further 90 people were injured; 55,680 houses were damaged; more than 95,000ha of paddy rice and cash crops were damaged. An initial estimate of total damage is nearly USD 2 billion. Electricity and communication systems are being restored in Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces. The latest damage reports show that Nam Dinh and Thai Binh are the worst affected provinces. The Government started responding quickly in the aftermath of the storm and has not requested any additional assistance.
2	2013	Super Typhoon Haiyan	Super Typhoon Haiyan, locally named Storm Number 13, is expected to hit Central Vietnam on Sunday, 10 November, after hitting the Philippines on Friday as a category-5 storm and wind strength of 230 kilometres per hour. Within the first two weeks of October, Central Vietnam was hit by two category-1 storms, Typhoon Wutip (storm number 10) on 30 September and Nari (storm number 11) on 15 October, leaving behind significant damages in nine provinces of Thanhhoa, Nghean, Hatinh, Quangbinh, Quangtri, Thuathienhue, Danang, Quangnam and Quangngai. Among these, Nghean, Hatinh, Quangbinh, Quangtri and Thuathienhue suffer from both storms’ dual impacts. It is estimated that 6.5 million people will be affected by the storm, while the total economic loss due to Nari is estimated to be VND 1.5 trillion (USD 71 million), on top of the VND 13.5 trillion (USD 663.23 million) economic loss earlier caused by Wutip.
4	2017	Super typhoon/storm	Typhoon Damrey, or Storm No.12, landed in Vietnam on 4 November 2017 with winds of up to 135 km/hour. The typhoon and continued heavy rainfall affected more than 4.33 million people in 15 Central Regions of Vietnam provinces. Three thousand five hundred fifty houses were destroyed in the typhoon, and 134,000 houses were partially damaged. In Khanhhoa province alone, 114,000 homes have been partially or fully damaged. One month after the typhoon struck, food security, livelihood, shelter, water, hygiene, and food and livelihood needs remain. The Government of Vietnam estimates the economic loss due to the typhoon around VND 22,680 billion (USD 996.9 million). On 4 December 2017, the UN in Vietnam launched a Flooding Response Plan, identifying financial needs of US 54 million to cover humanitarian needs. As of 13 December, the Response Plan is 30 per cent funded. Early recovery funding needs, as estimated by the Government of Vietnam, add up to a total of USD 142 million.
5	2017		Typhoon Doksuri tore a destructive path across Central Vietnam on Friday, 15 September 2017, as a Category 1 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 135 kph (wind gusts up to 185 kph), flooding hundreds of thousands of homes, whipping off roofs and knocking out power in the six provinces of Thanhhoa, Nghean, Hatinh, Quangbinh, Quangtri and Thuathienhue. According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (CSCNDPC), at least 14 people were killed, 112 injured, and four others missing after Doksuri swept through Vietnam during the weekend of the typhoon. This typhoon is the tenth to hit Vietnam this year and caused widespread rainfall of between 100 and 250 mm in provinces from Thanhhoa to Thuathienhue, leaving 1.3 million people without power. The typhoon has caused severe damage to civil properties and community infrastructure such as schools, public buildings, and river and sea dikes, among others.
6	2017	Landslides and flash floods in the Northern region	Landslides occur in the Nam-Ho Dienbien districts of Laichau Province, Mu Chang Chai districts of Yenbai Province, and Muong La districts of Sonla Province. Total damage estimated at 538.2 billion VND, or approximately 24 million USD. Latest reports indicated the following casualties: 9 deaths, 24 missing, 12 injured, and 196 houses washed away or collapsed. Additionally, 75 houses were affected by landslides, and 125 houses were unroofed. In order to assist the victims, the local authority has mobilized personnel and resources to repair the damage to infrastructure and properties. A damage assessment is currently being conducted.
7	2020	Super flooding in the Central region	On 6 October 2020, the central region of Vietnam experienced prolonged, heavy rains that caused severe and widespread flooding and landslides in eight provinces. This was due to the combination of numerous weather systems – the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone combined with cold air and tropical storms LINFA and NANGKA. Nine cyclonic storms also hit this part of the country, the final one being Typhoon Vamco, which caused landfall on 15 November 2020. People suffered heavy losses caused by natural disasters in 2020, including damage to people, shelters and properties. Three hundred fifty-seven were dead or missing (291 fatalities, 66 missing people), and 876 were injured. Five hundred eleven thousand one hundred seventy-two submerged houses, 3,429 collapsed houses, 333,084 damaged houses/ roofs blown away. These storms and floods that happened in a row are considered the most terrible disasters that hit Central Vietnam in the past 100 years. Floods wreaked havoc on infrastructure, including highways, schools, health institutions, and community centres. According to reports, over 360 schools were flooded or destroyed, over two million cattle lives were lost, and 30,000 hectares of agricultural productivity were devastated. The distribution of aid in the aftermath of the floods was hampered by substantial damage to public transit systems. More than 165 kilometres of national highway, 801 kilometres of local roads, and three bridges were severely damaged, according to VNDMA. Due to the loss of electricity in many impacted areas, communication was restricted, with 3,125 electric poles collapsing or breaking (VNDMA). The total loss was estimated at around VND 35,180,997,000 (approximately USD 1.4 million), reported on 15 November 2020.

(Source: combining and summarising from (1) ReliefWeb; (2) the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); and (3) United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Vietnam).

Table 2. Information of the key informant's participants

No.	Affiliation	Position	Rank	Interview
1	MPS (headquarter), Hanoi	Deputy head	Lieutenant colonel	Phone
2	MPS (headquarter), Hanoi	Office	Major colonel	Written
3	Hai Phong	Office	Second lieutenant	Written
4	Nghe An	Deputy head	Lieutenant colonel	Phone
5	Nghe An	Office	Lieutenant	Phone
6	Ha Tinh	Office	Senior lieutenant	Written
7	Ha Tinh	Office	Lieutenant	Written
8	Hoa Binh	Office	Captain	Written
9	Quang Binh	Office	Senior lieutenant	Written
10	Quang Binh	Office	Lieutenant	Written
11	Quang Binh	Office	Captain	Written
12	Ha Tinh	Office	Lieutenant	Phone
13	Yen Bai	Office	Lieutenant	Written
14	Yen Bai	Deputy head	Captain	Written
15	Nghe An	Office	Second lieutenant	Written
16	Lao Cai	Deputy head	Captain	Phone
17	Thai Binh	Office	Second lieutenant	Written
18	Thai Binh	Deputy head	Major colonel	Phone