In Nậm Pố 3 hamlet, household of Thào A Sở is built right beside the Nậm Pố stream, a stretch that has suffered severe erosion due to prolonged rains in early July. The riverbanks have been steadily washed away, and the hillside edges have advanced into his garden, coming dangerously close to his home.

In response to the complex developments, Nậm Pồ 3 hamlet promptly reported the situation to the local authorities. Immediately afterward, the Mường Nhé commune’s Steering Committee for natural disaster prevention and search and rescue dispatched a working group to inspect and assess the current situation. The results showed that the landslide crack was only about 3 to 4 meters from the house; the foundation had developed several long cracks, posing a high risk of landslide. The authorities urged Thào A Sở’s family to urgently relocate both people and belongings to a safer location to prevent possible disaster-related damage.

Despite recognizing the imminent danger, Sở’s family has not yet relocated. Sở explained: “We don’t have land for building a new home. The cost of moving and rebuilding is too high, and our economic situation is difficult. We know the danger, but we can’t act immediately.”

In response, the Mường Nhé commune People’s Committee directed relevant departments, in collaboration with the development board of Nậm Pố 3 hamlet, to urgently identify suitable land, engage local businesses to prepare the site, and allocate funding according to regulations to support Sở’s relocation. Local authorities and villagers helped dismantle the old house and move the family to the new site. By July 5, the relocation was complete.

“Thanks to the timely support of local authorities, rescue teams, and neighbors, our old house was dismantled and moved to the newly leveled site”, said Sở. “My family is currently staying temporarily at a relative’s house in a safe area. Once the weather improves, I’ll rebuild and stabilize our lives.”

Following Sở’s situation, the commune authorities ordered a full review across 39 hamlets and three residential clusters. In high-risk areas, authorities mobilized to advise and encourage residents to evacuate urgently, aiming to minimize loss of life and assets.

More recently, the development board of Nà Pán reported the case of Lường Thị Liên, who lives on a hillside at high risk of collapse. Inspection revealed that her home sits on the uphill side of the main village path, on fragile terrain, especially vulnerable during prolonged rainfall.

Nguyễn Văn Úy, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mường Nhé commune, stated: “The commune has developed an emergency relocation plan for Liên’s household. However, implementation has faced challenges since the family consists of only two members: Liên is working far from home, and her daughter is married and living in another village. Given the urgency of the situation, the commune People’s Committee proactively contacted and persuaded Liên to authorize her daughter to coordinate with local authorities in carrying out response measures.”

According to the plan, authorities will mobilize local forces to dismantle Liên’s house, lower and level the land, and set up resettlement in place. These steps are being fast-tracked to ensure her safety amid worsening weather and sustained rainfall.

Mường Nhé commune was formed by merging the full natural area and population of three former communes: Mường Nhé, Nậm Vì and Chung Chải from the former Mường Nhé district. The expanded area now includes nearly triple the number of hamlets, serving over 24,300 residents. The terrain is predominantly steep hills, intersected by many streams, making landslides, flash floods and debris flows common threats in the rainy season.

Soon after the new local administration took office, the commune authority revamped the commune’s Steering Committee for natural disaster prevention and search and rescue, assigning specific roles to each member to enhance disaster management effectiveness. Response plans were tailored to each hamlet and cluster. Since the onset of the rainy season, the commune has evacuated two households from high-risk zones. With weather conditions still precarious, the People’s Committee continues to instruct hamlets and residential clusters to monitor conditions closely, report promptly, and implement response measures to minimize damage to people and property.