Five Mekong Delta provinces and 11 agencies have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in forming the Mekong Partnership for Climate Resilient Rice Research Network (MPCRR-N).
Indonesia has assured that there will be no transboundary haze problems plaguing Southeast Asia’s skyline this year, said Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry advisor Arief Yuwono.
El Nino, which is forecast to last until the end of 2017, will cause drought and salinity intrusion in many areas of the country during the dry season.
The El Nino phenomenon is highly likely to occur late this year, causing unpredictable storms during the second half of the rainy season, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.
More flash floods and landslides are forecast to hit Vietnam in 2017 than last year, especially in mountainous areas in the northwest region, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).
Experts have predicted that the southern region will see reduced drought and salinity and more out-of-season rain in the dry season of 2017, as it is an area affected by the neutral phase which is a transit stage between El Nino and La Nina.
Along with the El Nino, projects in the Mekong River’s upstream, including hydropower plants, water-diverting and water-use works, are likely to pose serious impacts to the Mekong Delta.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat asked for greater efforts to restore the growth of the agriculture sector which is suffering from El Nino and climate change impacts.
El Nino-triggered coral bleaching has spread to approximately one fourth of coral reef areas across waters around Con Dao Islands off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau since March.
The Philippine government is implementing a comprehensive programme to lessen the impact of La Nina, stated Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma on June 1.
Nearly a decade after a spike in global food prices sent shockwaves around the world, Asia's top rice producers are suffering from a blistering drought that threatens to cut output.
Scientists have estimated that the 2014-2016 El Nino is expected to be as serious as the 1997-1998, and it could become one of the longest warming events ever (up to 20 months).
About 2.5 million Cambodians are facing water shortages in the worst drought in a century, Vice President of the National Centre for Disaster Management Nhim Vanda said on May 5.
Environment officials of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand convened the 18th meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Singapore.
Electricity consumption in the capital city was forecast to sharply increase this month due to extremely hot weather, said the Electricity of Vietnam Corporation (EVN).
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 11 said the country is facing severe drought while expressing hí hope that China will continue to discharge water to downstream of the Mekong River.
Environment
