More than 70,000 people in Laos were affected by floods and other natural disasters in 2021, with 17 injured and 19 dead.
A Disaster Management Committee Meeting for 2021 was held online recently, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Chansamone Chanyalath, Vientiane Times reports.
The meeting also heard a report on the Disaster Preparedness Plan for 2022.
Floods, droughts, storms, landslides, and agricultural pest infestations affected 70,200 individuals in 15 provinces, 94 districts, and 786 villages, according to the report.
DPM Chansamone emphasized the importance of central and local disaster management committees cooperating on the systematic implementation of emergency responses, incident reporting, and damage assessment.
He did, however, commend overall catastrophe management over the last year, citing notable achievements.
Laos signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China on cooperation in disaster management last year, while the country is also participating in the ASEAN Disaster Management Committee, says DPM Chansamone.
According to the report, meeting attendees were encouraged to share ideas and debate solutions to concerns and obstacles in the field of disaster management in the hopes of implementing a more coordinated response to natural catastrophes in 2022.
