First natural disaster channel to debut next year

The Hanoi Times - Early next year, Vietnam is set to open up its first television channel that is solely dedicated to helping prevent natural disasters.

The new channel, VTC 14, will be launched by the Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC). It will provide documentaries that raise awareness of potential threats, as well as forecasts of imminent disasters, to improve the preparedness of relevant agencies and people.

Vietnam is a tropical country, subject to yearly monsoons, and within the Asia-Pacific storm belt. As a result, it suffers from many natural calamities, especially floods, throughout the year.

According to international scientists, Vietnam is now one of ten countries in the world most affected by calamities. The country frequently suffers from a variety of disasters including storms, floods, landslides and droughts.

Reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development indicate that 750 people die or go missing every year from natural disasters, along with property losses valued at 1.5 percent of the national GDP each year, on average, for the past 10 years.

Environmental specialists have raised the warning that Vietnam, affected by global warming, is likely to suffer natural calamities that last longer, are more numerous, and more severe in the coming time.