The annual ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX) is scheduled to take place in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on Oct 19-24, state media reported. Local authorities have urged concerned agencies to prepare for the large-scale drill in the outlying district of Ba Vi. Under the scenario, Vietnam would have to call on regional countries and international community to assist it in early warning, responding to and overcoming the potential damages of natural disasters. The ARDEX is an annual activity of ASEAN countries to test the coordination process in natural calamities responses as regulated in the Standard Operation Procedure for ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). Since 2005, ASEAN has launched four ARDEX in Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand. Vietnam is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly tropical storms, floods, landslides and droughts. The country is forecast to suffer ten typhoons per year. Between January and September, Vietnam lost around VND4.5 trillion ($212.26 million) from natural disasters, rising by 40.6% from a year earlier. (Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi Oct 9 p3)
