Natural Disasters in Vietnam Cost $390M in Jan-Aug: Government

Tropical storms and typhoons have caused 90 deaths, 223 others injured and damage worth VND8.7 trillion ($390 million) to Vietnam in the first eight months of this year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). More than 81,800 houses were pulled down in turbulent weather, nearly 49,700 hectares of crops destroyed and 18,800 hectares of fish farms harmed by heavy rains and gusts. Floods and storms are the most common calamities, accounting for more than 40% of all natural disasters in Vietnam. Floods mainly occur in the Red river delta, the Mekong delta, and central plain while flash floods and landslides that cause high economic damage and fatalities usually happen in the mountainous northern region. With a coastline of more than 3,440 kilometers, Vietnam is prone to a wide range of disasters including floods, typhoons, landslides and drought. The country suffers around 10 tropical storms per year. The World Bank has said that Vietnam loses an amount equal to 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually due to natural disasters. (Baodansinh.vn Aug 31, VnExpress.net Aug 31)