(HBO) – A project on flood and landslide warning developed by a group of Thai ethnic minority students from Hoa Binh won the second prize at an exchange event of programming clubs nationwide hosted by the Dariu Foundation in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The pupils are from the Na Phon primary and secondary school in Mai Chau district’s Na Phon commune.
A project on flood and landslide
warning by a group of Hoa Binh students from the Na Phon primary and secondary
school wins the second prize at an exchange event of programming clubs
nationwide hosted by the Dariu Foundation.
According
to ninth grader Ha Thi Thu Huong, a member of the group, the transport system
in mountainous Na Phon commune include special bridges crossing streams, which
are often hit by unexpected floods during the rainy season.
Unexpected
floods and landslides have caused accidents and damage to both people and their
vehicles, she said.
"From
the fact and with support from our teachers, we came up with the idea and worked
to translate it into reality in hope of reducing damage caused by natural
disasters in mountainous areas,” Huong noted.
When
it is raining hard, a flood is quick to form on a stream. It is also very
difficult to predict when the flood hits the bridge crossing it. Therefore, the
pupils built a flood warning model, which places a flow sensor about 2km away
from these risky bridges.
Ha
Manh Hung, another member of the group, said the sensor will send signals to a
microprocessor that turns on lights of different colours – green for normal
passing, yellow for restricted passing, and red for stop. When the red light is
turned on, a bar will be pulled down. The system uses solar energy and rechargeable
batteries.
Based
on the same principles, the group studied to put sensors at areas with a high
risk of landslides. When the danger is near, the system will send signals via
lights or loudspeakers to alert nearby residents.
During
their implementation of the project, the pupils faced myriad difficulties. They
are all from an ethnic minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. Owning no
computers at home, they had to carry out all of their researches at school.
They also encountered challenges purchasing needed equipment.
Their
success despite difficulties will contribute to encouraging local students,
particularly ethnic minorities, to engage in scientific and technological
research and innovation./.
Over recent years, the Farmers' Union of Mai Chau district has implemented numerous specific programmes and activities to support its members in developing products under the One Commune One (OCOP) programme. These efforts have contributed to enhancing local agricultural branding, increasing goods value, and improving incomes and living standards for residents.
Since 2022, the Hoa Binh Department of Education and Training has provided advice for the provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 219/KH-UBND on November 17, 2022, which outlines the implementation of a project titled "Enhancing the application of Information Technology (IT) and Digital Transformation in Education and Training for the 2022–2025 period, with a vision to 2030.” As of now, the local education sector has made significant progress in IT adoption and digital transformation.
Hoa Binh allocated over 30 trillion VND (nearly 1.18 billion USD) to develop infrastructure systems in ethnic minority and mountainous areas during 2019 - 2024. Priority was given to transport and irrigation infrastructure; markets; schools; medical stations; communal houses; and power grid, telecommunication, radio, and television systems.
The Hoa Binh provincial organising committee for anniversary activities on December 17 held a ceremony to unveil a ceramic mural on the local military-civilian ties and release a book on the Party and political work of the provincial armed forces during 1947 – 2024, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival.
In recent years, Hoa Binh has allocated significant resources to foster cooperative economy, helping ethnic minorities capitalise on their potential and advantages to escape poverty.
As a mountainous district still facing numerous challenges, Da Bac has made notable progress in advancing administrative reforms across various areas. The district has prioritised reorganising and streamlining its administrative apparatus, operating "one-stop-shop” units, and applying information technology (IT) in the handling of administrative procedures. Efforts have also been directed toward upgrading infrastructure and equipment to enhance service quality for residents and businesses.