This is the first time Facebook is partnering with a local government in Vietnam for a public service campaign.
On July 31, Facebook and Da Nang’s Information and Communications Department signed a partnership on building digital capacity and improving disaster responses, Tuoi Tre reports.
The program provides training to Da Nang officials on communicating disaster prevention and responses, using Facebook as a tool for gathering information and establishing communication channels between authorities, officials and the public.
Similar training has been employed before by the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority. According to Tran Quang Hoai, head director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority, in 2019 the department partnered with Facebook to conduct training programs for 400 staff members working in the department in 63 provinces on how to use Facebook for natural disaster prevention and response.
Hoai told the news source that Facebook is an effective tool for receiving disaster information and promptly disseminating it between authorities and residents. Vietnam has one of the highest Facebook usage rates in the world.
During the partnership's launch, Facebook also announced its Data For Community program, which includes a population density map and a map of natural disasters in Vietnam. These maps, created using data based on high-resolution satellite images and censuses, could help humanitarian organizations monitor information regarding power grids, internet usage and populations and their needs in real-time, the social network claims.
[Photo via Flickr user Cambodia, P.I. Network]
