Vietnam among top four countries in disaster readiness worldwide

Vietnam is ranked among the top four countries in the world in natural disaster preparedness, according to a global survey conducted by global analytics firm Gallup which has been released recently.

The three other countries are Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Gallup surveyed 1,000 people in 142 countries in 2023.

In response to survey questions, people from South-East Asia scored highly in preparedness, household planning and feelings of agency when it came to disasters.

The survey showed that 83% of households in Vietnam said they had plans in respond to emergency relating to natural disasters, higher than the global average of 38%.

Southeast Asia also ranks highly for its coverage of early disaster warnings. Among those who had experienced a disaster within the past five years, 74% of adults in Southeast Asia said they had received at least one early warning (from the internet/social media, local government, radio/TV/newspaper, or local community organization), above the global average of 70%.

Majorities of people in all Southeast Asian countries had received at least one disaster warning. In Vietnam and the Philippines, coverage rates for early warnings are nearly universal, reaching 99% and 92%, respectively, according to the survey.

Southeast Asia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, with most countries situated on archipelagos or peninsulas, where large urban populations along the coasts are vulnerable to flooding from cyclones and monsoon rains.