This information was released at a seminar on October 25 to launch the Coastal Areas of Thanh Hoa Resilient to Natural Disasters (CATREND) project aiming to help coastal communities reduce their vulnerability and mitigate the negative impact of natural disasters and climate change.

The project includes six major components: improving local people’s awareness of community-based disaster risk mitigation and adaptation to climate change; raising the capacity of local forces; integrating natural disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation into development plans; improving local early warning systems; and reducing the effects of disasters and climate change through activities at primary and secondary schools.

Residents of six villages: Hoang Thanh, Hoang Dong and Hoang Hai in Hoang Hoa district and Quang Nham, Quang Loi and Quang Loc in Quang Xuong district will benefit from the project.

World Vision Vietnam’s provincial manager in Thanh Hoa, Pham Quoc Anh, said the project will include many specific activities such as collecting and disemminating information, developing radio and television programs about managing disaster risks, and organising seminars and training courses.

World Vision is carrying out development programs in seven poor mountainous districts in Thanh Hoa province in agriculture, economics, education, vocational training, health care, nutrition, capacity building, disaster risk mitigation and climate change adaptation. It is funding a project to improve the quality of life for 17,000 children in the province.