Da Nang builds helipads to aid emergency response in mountainous areas

The move follows concerns over worsening weather patterns and difficult terrain in remote areas.

Colonel Tran Huu Ich, commander of the Da Nang City Military Command, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that a VND7-billion (US$266,000) helipad is being urgently built in Tra Tap Commune, formerly Tra Cang Commune, Nam Tra My District of Quang Nam Province.

Simultaneously, a second helipad is being prepared in Hung Son Commune (formerly A Xan Commune of Nam Giang District), with site surveys already completed and approved in coordination with Air Defense Division 372.

The helipad in Hung Son will support emergency operations for the wider Nam Giang and Tay Giang areas.

"The urgent construction of these helipads is in response to increasingly unpredictable weather.

“Even during the dry season, we've seen extreme rainfall events, and some mountainous areas are already showing signs of landslides," Ich said.

He explained that once completed, the helipads will allow for critical goods to be delivered by air and transported onward to isolated communities during natural disasters such as floods or landslides.

In 2021, a similar helipad and storage facility were successfully built in Phuoc Thanh Commune (formerly in Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province, now under Da Nang’s jurisdiction), which has since proven effective for logistics and disaster response.

The Da Nang Military Command’s proposal highlights that the communes of Phuoc Thanh, Tra Tap, and Hung Son are located in rugged, mountainous terrain along the city’s western border, making them highly vulnerable to flash floods, landslides, and isolation during intense downpours.

With steep slopes and limited infrastructure, these regions often face road blockages that hinder rescue efforts and food delivery during storms.

The municipal military command added that the area's geographic and strategic location is also vital for national defense and security.

By building and activating these helipads, Da Nang aims to improve its disaster readiness and safeguard both border security and the well-being of isolated communities.

The current Da Nang City is a merger between the former Quang Nam Province and Da Nang, as part of the recent major administrative restructuring in which Vietnam’s total number of provinces and cities was reduced to 34 from 63.