Thailand’s National Water Administration has reported that severe flooding in China won’t cause the water level in the Mekong River to rise, and Thailand will not be affected.
Extreme low flows and extensive flooding of different communities along the Mekong River last year and an increasing number of droughts that have occurred in many parts of the region in recent years are among the signs that the Mekong region is facing increasing risks from extreme weather events and developments, says a new report by the Mekong River Commission (MRC).
Recent research from experts at the German Foundation for Science and Politics (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik - SWP) highlighted shortcomings in managing the Mekong River’s water resources.
Vietnam hopes and stands ready to join hands with countries along the Mekong River to manage and use its water resources effectively and sustainably, said Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang.
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on April 30 that water levels along the vast majority of the lower Mekong basin have now returned to normal long-term averages but are still lower than those during the 2018 and 2019 dry season.
With over 4 million ha of land, the Mekong Delta is home to nearly 20 million people and the largest rice production hub of Vietnam, but it is also facing historic water scarcity.
Saltwater intrusion on the Mekong River will abate gradually but still be at high levels. The phenomenon is forecast to remain strong on some distributaries until early May.
Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Laos have been struggling with the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has so far killed more than 14,560 people worldwide.
The Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy affirmed on March 19 that the country’s newly-approved Master Plan for 2020-2030 will not include the construction of new hydropower dams along the Mekong River.
The Japanese government will provide 3.9 million USD in non-refundable aid to help the Mekong River Commission to increase its flood and drought monitoring and forecasting capacity in the lower Mekong basin.
The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre is speeding up land clearance for the implementation of a water management project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The building of hydropower projects on the Mekong River’s mainstream must ensure that they do not cause negative impacts, including cross-border effects, on the environment and socio-economic development of the countries along the river, especially the nations in the downstream region, in line with international practice and regulations of the Mekong River Commission, said a Vietnamese official.
Saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta is forecast to continue and get worse amid tidal surges in the time to come, according the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on January 9 replied to reporters' question about Vietnam’s reaction to China’s testing of the Jinghong dam.
A conference was held in Ben Tre province on January 3 to discuss measures for coping with drought and saltwater intrusion which are getting more serious in the Mekong Delta this dry season.
The standing office of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee should continue carrying out cooperation activities in the Mekong River Commission, and sharing experience in integrated water resources management, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh said at a conference in Hanoi on December 24.
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