In the face of increasingly complicated developments in drought and salinity, recently localities in the Mekong Delta have stepped up investment in water storage and domestic water supply to help people have fresh clean water during the dry season.
At this time last year, farmers in the Mekong Delta were utterly in distress because of drought. This year, authorities have adopted different solutions to reserve fresh water in canals and rivers facilitating the waterway transport.
Although the Central region has not officially entered the dry season, drought has already occurred leaving many farming areas in severe shortage of water.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has pointed out an urgent need to ensure standardised drinking water for residents in the Mekong Delta while minimising socio-economic impact caused by drought there.
A working delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development led by Director General of Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) Nguyen Quoc Tri yesterday had a working session with Dong Thap Province on prevention of natural disasters and forest fires in this year’s dry season.
Not only the Southern region is warned to battle for drought and saltwater intrusion this year but also the Northern region is suffering the lack of irrigation water due to less rainfall on the large scale during recent several months.
Thousands of people in Indonesia prayed for rain in haze-hit towns throughout Sumatra and Borneo islands as forest fires raged at the height of the dry season, Antara news agency reported on September 11.
Head of Singapore’s National Environment Agency's (NEA) Chew Ming Fai has warned that the dengue problem in the country will get worse before it gets better, as the coming dry, hot months are prime breeding season for the dengue-spreading mosquito.
Vietnam is under influence of La Nina which will last until May this year to bring rainfalls and cool, according to National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.
Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities are taking measures to ensure residents’ access to clean water during the dry season and upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.
