The Joint Advocacy Network Initiative (JANI) held a conference in Hanoi on Dec. 1 to review its communication campaign to raise Vietnamese people’s awareness of mitigating impacts of natural disasters, state media reported Dec. 2. The campaign was launched on May 05, 2009 via press agencies, television and radio stations in Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces and Hue City. Through the campaign, the JANI has set up a network of reporters nationwide who have a chance to conduct fact-finding in regions hit by natural disasters. Natural disasters kill about 400 Vietnamese and caused property damages estimated at 1%-1.5% of the country’s GDP per year.
