For many years, Hờ A Phổng’s family had lived at the foot of a mountain in Đề Chu hamlet, Tủa Thàng commune. Since the start of this rainy season, every heavy downpour has triggered mud and debris from the mountain slope behind his house to slide down into the yard and surrounding areas. Alarmingly, in the past two weeks, the volume of falling debris has increased significantly, indicating an imminent risk of landslide.

Upon being notified by the Đề Chu hamlet development committee, the commune’s Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue inspected the site and confirmed the area to be highly vulnerable. The family was promptly advised and supported to evacuate to a safer location. For now, they are temporarily residing with relatives in the hamlet.

“Thanks to timely support from local authorities, rescue forces, and fellow villagers, my family now has a temporary place to stay and no longer fears the threat of landslides,” shared Hờ A Phổng. “Our old house has been dismantled and moved to a new location where the land has been leveled. When the weather improves, we’ll rebuild to stabilize our life.”

Nguyễn Bá Đức, Vice Chairman of the Tủa Thàng commune People’s Committee, held: “On the morning of July 14, all relocation and dismantling efforts were completed. The Commune mobilized a local enterprise to assist in leveling the new, safe ground for the family to rebuild. We are continuing to survey and assess households living in high-risk areas and coordinating with hamlet-level authorities to encourage prompt evacuation to safer temporary shelters to proactively mitigate disaster risks.”

Following the 2024 rainy season, a 200-meter-long, 20-centimeter-wide, and 70-centimeter-deep ground fissure appeared in Zone B of Phìn Hồ hamlet (Si Pa Phìn commune). Over time, the cracks have widened and deepened, posing a direct threat to 22 households located downslope. From the beginning of this year’s rainy season, the commune has worked with specialized agencies to inspect the area and develop appropriate response plans.

Vàng A Thỉnh, Chairman of the Si Pa Phìn commune Fatherland Front Committee, explained: “We have identified five major fissures with high disaster potential. So far, six households have been relocated from the danger zone. The remaining families lack temporary shelters or land, so permanent relocation is not yet possible. Therefore, every time there is heavy rain, local authorities and social organizations immediately assist families in temporarily moving to safer locations to prevent sudden disaster.”

Giàng A Vừ is one of 16 households living directly beneath the potential landslide zone in Phìn Hồ. He and his family live in constant worry during extended rainfall and hope for an early relocation plan.

“My family has lived here for nearly 40 years,” said Giàng A Vừ. “When the first cracks appeared in July 2024, we reported it, and local authorities inspected the site. But so far, no permanent solution has been implemented, and we have no land to move to. Every time it rains heavily, we have to seek shelter with other households. We hope the government will soon support us with a safe place to live so we can stabilize our lives.”

It is known that Si Pa Phìn commune is currently coordinating with relevant agencies to implement a resettlement project for households in Zone B of Phìn Hồ.

Amidst the peak of the rainy and flood season, reviewing risk zones, preparing relocation plans, and promptly implementing resettlement projects in disaster-affected areas is a critical and urgent task. Relocating residents away from landslide-prone areas not only protects lives and property but also helps stabilize communities in the long term, minimizing the devastating impact of floods and landslides.