The saltwater intrusion has had an adverse impact on rice farming and aquaculture in coastal areas of the southernmost province of Ca Mau , according to locals.

A report released by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment revealed that close to 10,000 hectares of agricultural land in the province have been intruded by sea water.

The department blamed such situation to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, saying that the sea level has risen over one metres in the past decade while local sea dykes have seriously degraded.

In addition, the pouring of sea water into 290,000 hectares of farming land for shrimp breeding was also another reason.

According to Le Van Su, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province is facing a shortage of financial resources to tackle the problem.

Of 1.3 trillion VND (61.9 million USD) required for upgrading the dyke systems in the West Sea in general and Ca Mau in particular as part of a project approved by the Government in 2012, the province has been provided with only several dozens of billion VND, which is not enough for it to do the work, he said.-VNA