Research on Disaster Prevention Capacity of Local Ethnic Minorities in the Central Highlands in the Current Period
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CHIẾN LƯỢC VÀ CHÍNH SÁCH DÂN TỘC RESEARCH ON DISASTER PREVENTION CAPACITY OF LOCAL ETHNIC MINORITIES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN THE CURRENT PERIOD Vu Thi Thanh Minh Vietnam Academy for Ethnic Minorities Email: [email protected] Received: 06/6/2021 Reviewed: 09/6/2021 Revised: 11/6/2021 Accepted: 18/6/2021 Released: 30/6/2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25073/0866-773X/551 he Central Highlands region in our country has been strongly affected by natural disasters. In Trecent years, natural disasters such as floods, tube floods, flash floods, landslides have occurred more frequently. The change of climate has made the natural conditions of the Central Highlands more severe, the frequency of natural disasters is increasing with strong intensity and unusual and unpredictable developments. For sustainable socio-economic development, while natural disasters and climate change are a global issue, proactively improve capacity to prevent, aroid and mitigate natural disaster risks for the ethnic minority community living in the Central Highlands, especially for local ethnic minorities has become urgent and meaningful more important than ever. The author of this article has detailed research results at the national level on factors forming disaster response capacity of local ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. Through the data, there has been an in-depth study of the capacity to respond to major types of natural disasters of the local ethnic minority communities in the Central Highlands today. Keywords: Natural disaster prevention; Local ethnic minorities; Responding to climate change; Sustainable Development; Central Highlands. Volume 10, Issue 2 15 CHIẾN LƯỢC VÀ CHÍNH SÁCH DÂN TỘC 1. Introduction Tham, D.H and World Bank have not mentioned The Central Highlands region in our country solutions to improve disaster response capacity for has been strongly affected by natural disasters. In those affected by natural disasters. recent years, natural disasters such as floods, tube - Group 2: Research on disaster prevention floods, flash floods, and landslides have occurred capacity and measures more frequently. The change of the climate makes People will also have access to information the natural conditions of the Central Highlands on natural disasters and climate change to be able more severe, the frequency of natural disasters is to cope with changes in nature; Authors Brooks increasing with strong intensity and unusual and N, Adger WN and Kelly PM in the study “The unpredictable developments. Droughts in the dry Determinants of Vulnerability and Adaptive season and floods in the rainy season each year Capacity at the National Level and the Implications have caused hundreds of billions of VND in direct for Adaptation, Global Environmental Change, Part damage, dozens of people died, the damage to A” [2005] studied on adaptability factors and factors environmental degradation and living conditions influencing the ability to adapt and change the global cannot be counted. environment; Scientist (Japan) Jonhua Hamer in his The Central Highlands region has 13 local comprehensive research on tsunami and earthquake ethnic minorities with more than 1.5 million people, phenomenon “Yokohama burning: The Deadly 1923 accounting for about a quarter of the population Earth Quake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to of the whole region, but they are long-standing World Warll-Jonhua Hamer-New York...Freepress, residents who understand the nature, heaven and 2006 ”has given a number of solutions to mitigate the land of the Central Highlands. However, in reality, consequences of natural disasters, limit catastrophic the people’s experiences and knowledge have earthquakes and tsunamis. However, improving the been facing many challenges from the changes in ability of Japanese people to cope with catastrophic development policies, natural and social conditions. earthquakes and tsunamis has not been mentioned in The system of knowledge, customary laws and his research work by Jonhua Hamer. precious traditional practices of the local ethnic 2.2. Research in the country minority community on environmental protection is - Group 1: Studies on natural disasters in danger of being eroded, has received widely little Author Nguyen Duc Vuong: “Investigating and attention, dissemination and application. Therefore, surveying the current state of flash floods and areas for sustainable socio-economic development, potentially dangerous when flash floods occur to while natural disasters and climate change are a serve the work of forecasting, preventing damage, global problem, proactively improve capacity to mitigating natural disasters - Central and West prevent, avoid and mitigate natural disaster risks Nguyen ”[2006] has investigated the current state of for communities living in the Central Highlands, flash floods and areas that may be dangerous when especially for local ethnic minorities, is becoming flash floods occur in Central and Central Highlands, more urgent than ever. In recent years, there have from which we can make forecasts, warn residents been a number of studies mentioning natural to promptly evacuate, minimize damage caused by disasters, but there are no general studies on the natural disasters. situation of natural disasters in recent years in the - Group 2: Research on impacts of natural Central Highlands. disasters 2. Research overview The authors Hoang Tuan, Ha Lien Diep, delve 2.1. International research deeply into natural disasters and their impacts on - Group 1: Theoretical studies on natural the environment. The authors Nguyen Tien, Nguyen disasters Duc Tuan, when studying “Disasters of the 20th century” [Youth Publishing House, H.2001] have In two years (2010 and 2011), the devastation pointed out the terrible disasters of the twentieth caused by natural disasters was very heavy. This, century, showing the terrible impact of natural mentioned by Tham, DH in the study “A Suggested disasters and climate change. Approach for Riverbank Erosion Prediction” [2010] and the World Bank in 2010 also assessed the - Group 3: Research on the community’s ability damage and loss after the disaster “Damage, Loss to respond to natural disasters and Needs Assessment Guidance Notes. Volume Author Le The Trung, “Community prepared 2: Conducting”. However, in their research, to prevent natural disasters” [H: Medicine, 2003] 16 JOURNAL OF ETHNIC MINORITIES RESEARCH CHIẾN LƯỢC VÀ CHÍNH SÁCH DÂN TỘC mentioned the community’s concern about the types disasters on socio-economic life and the environment of natural disasters that may occur, the possibilities in recent years in the Central Highlands. to ensure safety, prevention of natural disasters and - No in-depth research on the capacity to necessary means to respond to natural disasters in prevent and avoid natural disasters, factors the community. affecting the capacity of natural disaster prevention - Group 4: Research on solutions to improve and avoidance of local ethnic communities in the disaster prevention capacity of the community Central Highlands in recent years. Author Bich Hanh: “Early warning, good 3. Research method prevention, timely remedy: 3 factors to mitigate 3.1. Analyze, synthesize, inherit the secondary natural disasters” [2006]. Author Nguyen Quang documents Kim, Tran Viet On: “Measures to mitigate natural disasters and droughts” [H: Agriculture, 2009] During the research process, the topic has presented an overview of droughts in Vietnam read related secondary documents at the National and the world, some solutions to reduce drought Library, Information Center, Ministry of Science mitigation in the South Central Coast and the Central and Technology; Central Highlands Program Office Highlands, proposing solutions to prevent drought. 3 and a number of research institutes on Central and Central Highlands belong to the Vietnam Academy - Group 5: Relevant studies in ethnic minority of Social Sciences, and Institute of Geography of areas in the Central Highlands the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. “Ancient customs and practices tradition of some Relevant documents include: ethnic minorities in the South Central Highlands - Study documents and documents on natural “[Nguyen Quang Le, 2007]” The customary values disasters, climate change, natural disaster of the Central Highlands “[Pham Thanh Khiet, 2008], prevention and response, ethnic minorities in the “Customary law in the indigenous cultural flow in Central Highlands the Central Highlands “ [Ngo Duc Thinh, 2012]... Most of the research, this focuses on describing, - Study resolutions of the Party; Law of the State, analyzing and generalizing cultural activities, the National Plan of Action of the Government... festivals, customs, customs and customary laws of on the issue of natural disaster prevention and the ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands mitigation. at the same time pointing out potential great and - Study overview of strategies, master plans and sustainable values hidden inside of each of those plans for natural disaster prevention and mitigation cultural activities. Here the indigenous ethnic groups of the whole country and of the Central Highlands. are studied under the perspective of the community 3.2. Research, field investigation that is keeping unique cultural values that need to be To accomplish the objectives and content of promoted, preserved, which is also potential, cultural the presentation, the research team has designed a and spiritual values, priceless of the land, people in set of tools