Rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta are becoming alarming, said Prof. David Dapice, Senior Economist, Vietnam and Myanmar Programme, Harvard Kennedy School, at a meeting with leaders of Can Tho city on October 8.
Environmental experts gathered at a conference held in Hanoi on September 11, discussing the important roles of stakeholders in outlining hydropower master plan and protecting water resources in the Mekong River basin.
Immediate measures and long-term plans should be implemented quickly to help provinces in the Mekong Delta cope with drought and saline intrusion, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh has said.
This summer-autumn crop, the Mekong Delta – Vietnam’s biggest rice granary – expects to harvest 150,000 tonnes of paddy more than last year, according to an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Three to four storms are forecast to directly affect Vietnam’s mainland, mostly in the central and southern regions, from now to the end of this year, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Metrological Forecasting.
The Mekong Delta will not have early or intense flooding in its upper parts this year because of the low water level in the Mekong River, according to the National Centre of Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.
More than 67,160 ha of farmland nationwide are likely to be hit by drought and saline intrusion in the coming time if a lack of rainfall persists, according to the Directorate of Water Resource under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, there are still complex developments in the remit of natural disasters in 2019 due to the impact of El Nino phenomenon.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang allocated nearly 504 billion VND (21.72 million USD) for disaster prevention in 2018 to ensure production and people’s livelihoods for stable local socio-economic development.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will help the central province of Ninh Thuan fight and adapt to natural disasters with a focus on children amid climate change.
The southernmost province of Ca Mau is asking for the central government’s financial support of 57 billion VND (2.5 million USD) to recover consequences of natural calamities.
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Vietnamese Government treasure comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has suggested the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang develop smart agriculture and processing industry, and spread a new-style cooperative model.
Officials from APEC member economies expressed their special interest in Vietnam’s rice production and export during their fact-finding trip to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI).
Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Japan Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Shinzo Abe have reaffirmed their determination to foster the Vietnam-Japan relationship in a comprehensive and extensive manner in a joint statement.
Environment
