The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is speeding up the building of 421 Kaem Ling projects -- water reservoir projects initiated by His Majesty King Rama IX -- as water catchment areas over 1.2 million rai.
Thanh Thanh Cong Trading Joint Stock Company, a member of the Thanh Thanh Cong Group, has exported 500 tonnes of molasses to Australia to help alleviate a shortfall across Queensland state caused by an ongoing drought.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has forecast saltwater intrusion for 10 of the 13 provincial-level localities in the Mekong Delta this dry season, and the phenomenon has already appeared in eight so far.
The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) under the Thai Ministry of Commerce has assessed that the drought situation in 2020 could hurt agricultural production, resulting in continued price increases.
By 2050, 60 percent of farming areas in Vietnam will be equipped with water-saving irrigation systems, according to the country's Water Management Strategy, which was recently approved by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung.
Rice exports may fall below 8 million tonnes for 2019, with this year's prospects still uncertain because of a slew of risk factors such as the continued strong baht, natural disasters and emerging new rice exporters like Myanmar and China, local media reported.
The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry of Thailand is planning to build 421 more water storage facilities in the fight against a looming water shortage.
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 national irrigation department has reported a staggeringly low level of water reserves in northern and central regions, signalling the threat of a severe drought in 2020.
Lemongrass farmers in Tien Giang province’s Tan Phu Dong district, the Mekong Delta’s largest producer of the herb, are earning growing incomes now since prices are increasing.
Saltwater has intruded early this year into the Mekong Delta’s coastal provinces, affecting the availability of freshwater for irrigation and household use.
The Mekong Delta may experience sooner and even more serious droughts and saltwater intrusion in the 2019 – 2020 dry season, compared to the situation in 2016 when historic saline intrusion was recorded, an official has said.
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said the country is facing drought after emergency measures were ordered in 54 districts of 11 provinces.
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat and the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Centre (LMC Water Centre) has inked an agreement to enhance efficiency of key cooperation fields between the two bodies.
The Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has attributed the recent droughts in the country to direct impact of climate change and global warming around the world.
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