On October 12, Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, chaired a meeting on the results of disaster prevention work during the first nine months of the year and the plan for the final three months of 2026.
At the meeting, Bui Minh Thanh called for greater accountability from agency heads and response plans tailored to each area to minimize harm to people and property.
City leaders said the approach should shift from fighting floods to integrated water management. Planning must link rainwater retention, storage and drainage. Reservoir operations should follow rain and flood forecasts while balancing water needs for households and production.
Local authorities were told to review areas that flood regularly, identify the causes and develop suitable solutions. For 89 facilities whose repair plans have been approved, agencies must complete the procedures quickly and speed up the work so the facilities can become effective sooner.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city recorded two high tides above warning level III during the first nine months of the year, with water levels above 1.6 m at Phu An and Thu Dau Mot stations. Eight episodes of heavy rain, thunderstorms and tornadoes also caused damage to people and property. The city reported no landslides along rivers, canals or the coast, and no damage from drought or saltwater intrusion.
To improve disaster response capacity, the city held 11 disaster prevention training courses for 940 teachers and broadcast eight public information programs. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also approved urgent repairs for 89 vulnerable facilities. Total funding exceeded VND 227.9 billion from the Disaster Prevention Fund. The work is intended to help control high tides, drain water and protect residential areas.
The city currently has 36 irrigation reservoirs. Management organizations coordinate the regulation of Dau Tieng and Tri An reservoirs to protect the facilities and proactively reduce flooding downstream. The Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center said weather conditions will remain complicated through the end of the year.
From mid to late October, many southern areas may see heavy rain, thunderstorms and high tides that cause flooding. The city should also prepare for lightning, tornadoes and strong gusts, as well as the risk of drought and water shortages during the dry season.
Sources: Dân Trí
