Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
HANOI: Vietnam is grappling with a significant natural disaster crisis in 2025, as torrential rains in the south-central region have resulted in severe flooding and deadly landslides. State media reported on Friday, December 5, that at least two individuals have lost their lives, with over a dozen landslides causing considerable disruption nationwide. Authorities have labeled 2025 as an exceptionally unusual year for natural disasters in Vietnam, with catastrophic floods impacting hundreds of thousands of homes.
The relentless rainfall has particularly affected popular coastal tourist hubs, inundating thousands of homes and necessitating large-scale evacuations. Lam Dong province has been notably hard-hit, with at least two fatalities confirmed and sixteen landslides damaging vital infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Rescue teams are utilizing boats to deliver food and clean water to the affected communities, as floodwaters remain as deep as two meters in some locations, according to local residents.
Residents voiced their astonishment at the magnitude of the flooding, as their region is generally deemed safe from such intense storms. Many are hoping for the water levels to recede in the upcoming days so that life can return to normal.
Officials have emphasized the extraordinary nature of the ongoing disaster. Hoang Duc Cuong, deputy director at the Environment Ministry’s meteorology and hydrology department, noted that 2025 has seen an unprecedented number of storms, with 21 recorded, including 15 typhoons and six tropical depressions, far exceeding the annual average of ten storms. The nation has also experienced record-breaking rainfall, with rivers reaching unprecedented high-water levels from the northern regions to the central area and down to the lower Mekong Delta. In one central region, a remarkable 1,739mm of rain fell in a mere 24 hours.
These calamities have had devastating repercussions, with over 400 individuals dead or missing and economic losses exceeding US$3.6 billion. Experts attribute the increasing frequency and severity of weather events to human-driven climate change.
Vietnam is not alone in facing extreme weather. Recent floods in other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Sri Lanka, have resulted in over 1,500 fatalities and left hundreds of thousands displaced, highlighting the escalating vulnerability of Southeast Asian nations to climate disasters.
The catastrophic floods and landslides this year in Vietnam underscore the urgent call for enhanced disaster readiness, resilient infrastructure, and climate mitigation strategies to safeguard communities from the ever-increasing impacts of natural disasters.
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