A farmer uses organic fertiliser to fertilse durian trees in Ben Tre province (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Localauthorities in the Mekong Delta have begun taking measures to cope with theeffects of saltwater intrusion and drought in the upcoming 2020-2021dry season.
In recent years, the Mekong Delta - thecountry’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer - has faced severesaltwater intrusion from sea via river mouths during the dry season.
Local authorities in Can Tho City andthe delta's 12 provinces, have warned farmers to sow rice and other crops inthe dry season under certain schedules and in areas that can secureirrigation water.
The provinces in coastal areas haveupgraded irrigation systems to protect crops and aquaculture.
The Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment of Sac Trang province has warned farmers to sow the2020-21 winter-spring rice crop one month earlier than normal to mitigatethe impact of saltwater intrusion and drought.
Huynh Ngoc Nha, deputy director of thedepartment, said farmers have been encouraged to use advanced farmingtechniques to cope with the shortage of fresh water.
To store fresh water, the People’s Committeeof Tra Vinh province has decided to dredge 10 irrigation canals at a totalcost of 69 billion VND (3 million USD). Sea dykes, embankments and otherinfrastructure will also be inspected and repaired.
Pham Minh Truyen, Director of the Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, said the level ofsaltwater intrusion in the province’s main rivers and canals in the 2020 - 2021dry season is expected to be higher than in the 2015- 16 dry season.
“The water salinity in the 2020-2021dry season could increase unpredictably and be unequal among rivers,” hesaid.
Local authorities in the delta have encouragedfarmers to shift unproductive rice fields to other high-valuecrops, breed aquatic species, or engage in animal husbandry.
Provinces like Tien Giang and BenTre have supported farmers with money and farming techniques toupgrade their fruit orchards affected by saline intrusion anddrought, and have carried out measures to protect fruit orchards in the nextdry season.
Tien Giang, the largest fruit producer in thedelta, has given money to orchard owners to buy fruit seedlings likedurian and jackfruit to replace trees that died becauseof saline intrusion and drought.
In Ben Tre, authorities have instructedfarmers to wash out salt in the soil and rehabilitate the rootand leaf systems of trees.
In the last 2019 - 2020 dry season,saline intrusion with a salt content of four grammes per litre affected1.68 million hectares of land in the delta, or 42.5 percent of the delta’stotal area.
Most crops and fruit trees can tolerate asalinity rate of only one gramme per litre.
In the last dry season, saltwater intrusioncaused damage to nearly 42,000ha of rice, more than 1,200ha of vegetablesand other crops, and 8,700ha of aquaculture in the delta. And 96,000households in the delta faced shortage of clean water for daily use at thetime.
However, because the delta’s provincesand Can Tho city took preventive measures, the 2019-2020 dry season hadless damage from severe saltwater intrusion than in the 2015-2016 dryseason, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Clean water supply
The delta’s 12 provinces and Can Tho city aretaking measures to ensure water supply for households in the next dryseason. They have been upgrading water supply works andbuilding new ones, and have instructed households to store clean water.
Ben Tre province has encouraged households insaltwater-prone areas and drought-prone areas to store fresh water andrainwater to use in the next dry season.
Many households in these areas areusing water pots, cement containers and otherreceptacles to store fresh water for household use in the next dry season.
In An Giang province, irrigation canalswill be dredged and sluices upgraded to store fresh water for the next dryseason.
Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of the An GiangPeople’s Committee, said that inspections would be carried out to identifyhouseholds that lack access to tap water and are using water fromwells, rainwater harvest, rivers and canals.
After the inspections, the province willsupply clean water to these households. “The province has instructeddepartments, agencies and localities to mobilise funds to build, repair andupgrade rural clean water supply projects,” he said./.
In recent years, the Mekong Delta - thecountry’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer - has faced severesaltwater intrusion from sea via river mouths during the dry season.
Local authorities in Can Tho City andthe delta's 12 provinces, have warned farmers to sow rice and other crops inthe dry season under certain schedules and in areas that can secureirrigation water.
The provinces in coastal areas haveupgraded irrigation systems to protect crops and aquaculture.
The Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment of Sac Trang province has warned farmers to sow the2020-21 winter-spring rice crop one month earlier than normal to mitigatethe impact of saltwater intrusion and drought.
Huynh Ngoc Nha, deputy director of thedepartment, said farmers have been encouraged to use advanced farmingtechniques to cope with the shortage of fresh water.
To store fresh water, the People’s Committeeof Tra Vinh province has decided to dredge 10 irrigation canals at a totalcost of 69 billion VND (3 million USD). Sea dykes, embankments and otherinfrastructure will also be inspected and repaired.
Pham Minh Truyen, Director of the Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, said the level ofsaltwater intrusion in the province’s main rivers and canals in the 2020 - 2021dry season is expected to be higher than in the 2015- 16 dry season.
“The water salinity in the 2020-2021dry season could increase unpredictably and be unequal among rivers,” hesaid.
Local authorities in the delta have encouragedfarmers to shift unproductive rice fields to other high-valuecrops, breed aquatic species, or engage in animal husbandry.
Provinces like Tien Giang and BenTre have supported farmers with money and farming techniques toupgrade their fruit orchards affected by saline intrusion anddrought, and have carried out measures to protect fruit orchards in the nextdry season.
Tien Giang, the largest fruit producer in thedelta, has given money to orchard owners to buy fruit seedlings likedurian and jackfruit to replace trees that died becauseof saline intrusion and drought.
In Ben Tre, authorities have instructedfarmers to wash out salt in the soil and rehabilitate the rootand leaf systems of trees.
In the last 2019 - 2020 dry season,saline intrusion with a salt content of four grammes per litre affected1.68 million hectares of land in the delta, or 42.5 percent of the delta’stotal area.
Most crops and fruit trees can tolerate asalinity rate of only one gramme per litre.
In the last dry season, saltwater intrusioncaused damage to nearly 42,000ha of rice, more than 1,200ha of vegetablesand other crops, and 8,700ha of aquaculture in the delta. And 96,000households in the delta faced shortage of clean water for daily use at thetime.
However, because the delta’s provincesand Can Tho city took preventive measures, the 2019-2020 dry season hadless damage from severe saltwater intrusion than in the 2015-2016 dryseason, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Clean water supply
The delta’s 12 provinces and Can Tho city aretaking measures to ensure water supply for households in the next dryseason. They have been upgrading water supply works andbuilding new ones, and have instructed households to store clean water.
Ben Tre province has encouraged households insaltwater-prone areas and drought-prone areas to store fresh water andrainwater to use in the next dry season.
Many households in these areas areusing water pots, cement containers and otherreceptacles to store fresh water for household use in the next dry season.
In An Giang province, irrigation canalswill be dredged and sluices upgraded to store fresh water for the next dryseason.
Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of the An GiangPeople’s Committee, said that inspections would be carried out to identifyhouseholds that lack access to tap water and are using water fromwells, rainwater harvest, rivers and canals.
After the inspections, the province willsupply clean water to these households. “The province has instructeddepartments, agencies and localities to mobilise funds to build, repair andupgrade rural clean water supply projects,” he said./.
VNA
