Facebook has launched a programme designed to help Vietnamese officials at all levels to enhance their capacity of using technology and social networks to cope with natural disasters.

At the launching ceremony of the programme designed to help Vietnamese officials at all levels to enhance their capacity of using technology and social networks to cope with natural disasters (Source: www.hanoimoi.com.vn)

This is part of the collaboration between Facebook and the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

At the event to announce the programme, Facebook also launched the website https://www.facebook.com/PCTTVN/ to help sharing latest information about natural calamities among the community.

Under the programme, Facebook will host a series of workshops and training courses for officials from the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is one of the five countries hardest hit by natural disasters. Over the past two decades, natural disasters left over 400 people dead and missing each year, caused economic losses equal to about 1-1.5% of GDP, and affected people’s living environment and conditions, as well as socio-economic activities and sustainable development of the country.

In 2017, a record number of 16 typhoons and 4 low pressures occurred in the East Sea. The storms claimed the lives of 386 people in the year, damaged more than 600,000 houses and caused economic losses of about 60 trillion VND (2.64 billion USD), with the worst typhoons being Doksuri and Damrey.

(Source: VNA)