The region has a mountainous terrain withsteep slopes and not many flats areas, meaning rains cause rivers toflow strongly and drought comes immediately if there are no rains.
It is also the worst hit by climate change.
Hoang Minh Tam, head of the Agricultural Science Institute for theSouthern Central Coastal Region, said to deal with climate change,farmers need to switch from rice to short-term crops suitable for theirareas.
The land is not very fertile but suitable for short-term crops and farmers could earn higher incomes, he said.
The switch from water intensive to drought resistant crops shouldbe considered a priority by local authorities, he said.
The south-central provinces have begun the task and achieved someprogress though they have not fully exploited their potential, hesaid.-VNA