The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho plans to spend 8 trillion VND (376 million USD) building irrigation systems to prevent inundations in flood-prone areas from now to 2020.

The money will be soured from the local and central budgets, the Government bonds, and the official development assistance (ODA) capital, said Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh.

The submergence has become more serious in the city since 2008 due to the impact of climate change, according to the Southern Institute for Water Resources Planning.

Ninh Kieu, Binh Thuy, Cai Rang, O Mon, and Phong Dien districts are the most vulnerable, being submerged under 20-50cm of water within several hours as a result of tidal surges and floods.

In addition to building new sewage pits and reinforcing breakwater and embankment systems, Can Tho aims to complete the dredging of canals inside and outside the city to protect farming areas and aquatic breeding facilities.

Comprising 12 provinces and one centrally-run city, the Mekong Delta plays an important role in the nation’s economic growth. However, the region is threatened by climate change impacts such as rising sea level and saltwater intrusion.

Scientists predict that a one-metre rise in sea level could let saltwater in 70 percent of the Mekong Delta’s area. As a result, Vietnam would lose two million hectares of farmland, and many coastal localities would be submerged in water.-VNA