Storm Sinlaku, the second of its kind to enter the East Sea since the beginning of this year, has caused two deaths, according to reports from the provinces at a meeting in Hanoi on August 3.
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.
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.
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.
About 2.68 million Cambodian households, or 75 percent of the total, had access to the national power grid last year, the Khmer Times newspaper quoted the latest report by the Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy as saying.
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.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has urged residents and businesses in Phnom Penh to be prepared for electricity shortages which could occur in this year’s dry season if water levels at hydropower dams run low.
The possible impacts of Laos’ Pak Lay hydropower project on areas along the Mekong River were discussed at a national consultation held by the Vietnam National Mekong Committee (VNMC) in Hanoi on January 7.
A seminar discussing sustainable energy development and safety of dykes and hydropower reservoirs in Vietnam took place in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh on December 19.
The Lao government will begin inspecting the safety standards applied to the construction of all hydropower dams in the country next year in a bid to prevent further accidents, reported the Vientiane Times on November 30.
The Netherlands is keen on cooperating with the Mekong Delta region and Vietnam in general in boosting commercial agriculture growth in a manner beneficial to both humans and the environment, stated Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Elsbeth Akkerman on September 9.
The Lao Government decided to suspend the consideration of new hydropower projects to review the country’s hydropower development strategy after the breach of a dam last month left at least 34 dead and 100 still missing.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico held a fund-raising ceremony on August 7 to collect money for Lao people affected by the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam in the southern province of Attapeu.
The rescue forces in Laos had found the bodies of 31 victims in the collapse of the Sepien-Senamnoi hydropower dam as of August 6, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith revealed at an international press conference held in Vientiane on August 7.
As many as 18 million residents in the Mekong Delta are suffering serious consequences as the Mekong River is drying up due to over exploitation of hydropower plants in upstream countries.
Environment
