The severity of drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands has intensified and is expected to persist longer than in previous dry seasons. At present, hundreds of households are facing water shortages for daily use, while thousands of hectares of crops are struggling due to inadequate irrigation water.
The Mekong Delta is in the midst of its dry season, the peak period for drought and saltwater intrusion. According to meteorological forecasts, from March 12-15, the 4‰ salinity boundary will advance inland with the high tide, encroaching up to 70km from river mouths in some areas.
Looming water insecurity imperils domestic and industrial supplies. During the 2025 dry season in Tien Giang Province, an estimated 3.31 percent of households face a high risk of domestic water shortages.
According to Director of Tien Giang Water Supply Company (Tiwaco) Ho Huu Nhan, water demand in the eastern region of Tien Giang province is projected to reach 82,000 cubic meters per day by May 2025.
Worse, many domestic water supply works in the area are not operating effectively while the upgrade of damaged works has not been carried out resulted in the high risk of domestic water shortage when responsible agencies forecast that this year's drought and saltwater intrusion will continue.
Deputy Director Nguyen Duc Thinh of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang Province said that the locality is closely monitoring the developments of drought and saltwater intrusion in the area.
The provincial authorities stated that if the salinity levels in the Ham Luong River at Vam Mon continue to rise, they will install steel dams in Tra Tan and Ba Rai, and close the sluice gates under the 5 existing earthen dams. Administration of Cai Lay District is proactively preparing equipment and materials to construct 16 temporary dams to mitigate salinity, based on the progression of salinity intrusion.
Additionally, the district is poised to operate 17 backup wells to tap into groundwater in Ngu Hiep, Tan Phong, and Tam Binh communes to ensure irrigation in the event of salinity intrusion.
In addition to domestic water, localities in the Mekong Delta are also grappling to ensure fresh water for production in the 2025 dry season. Currently, around 90,000 - 110,000 hectares of rice, fruit trees and aquaculture mainly in Hau Giang Province’s Long My District and Vi Thanh City are being affected by natural disaster.
As per the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in many coastal localities of the Mekong Delta, just around 54 percent of rural people can access to fresh water and use of clean water for daily activities.
Meanwhile, crops in the Central Highlands region are drying up due to lack of water.
The Ta Kang Irrigation Reservoir in Kon Tum Province’s Dak To District serves as the primary source of irrigation water for hundreds of hectares of agricultural crops in the region. However, since early March 2025, a severe drought has precipitated significant desiccation, resulting in the lake bed becoming dry and fissured.
Vice Chairman Dang Quang Hai of the Dak To District People's Committee moaned that dozens of hectares of coffee in the area are at risk of drying up due to lack of irrigation water.
According to the Kon Tum Irrigation and Water Resources Sub-Department, the Tan Dien and Ca Tien reservoirs are unable to guarantee water supply until the end of the cropping season. Consequently, nearly 180 hectares of rice within the irrigation areas of these two reservoirs are currently experiencing water shortages. It is forecast that approximately 1,827 hectares of crops in the region will face irrigation water deficits if the drought persists until May 2025.
Rice plants in the Dak Kut rice fields in Ia Dok Commune of Gia Lai Province are currently in the flowering stage, but are experiencing water shortages. This lack of water has resulted in stunted growth and cracked soil. Certain areas have become too dry to sustain rice cultivation, prompting farmers to harvest the withered crops for cattle fodder.
According to the People's Committee of Ia Dok Commune, during the 2024–2025 winter-spring crop season, the commune cultivated a total of 120 hectares of wet rice. However, approximately 46 hectares in the Dak Kut rice fields have suffered from severe water shortages, with damage levels ranging from 70 percent to total crop loss.
Head Nguyen Kim Anh of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dak Doa District reported that beyond the documented water scarcity at the Dak Kut field, extensive areas of industrial crops within the Hno and Trang communes are exhibiting signs of physiological stress, specifically leaf abscission, due to prolonged irrigation water deficits. In response, the district's agricultural sector is implementing a resource allocation strategy that prioritizes irrigation water delivery to industrial crops, with the aim of mitigating mortality risks in vulnerable tree populations.
The incidence of severe and prolonged drought in the Central Highlands region has exacerbated the risk of forest fires. In Gia Lai Province, specifically, February 2025 witnessed two distinct forest fire events, with the incident in Chu Pah District resulting in the destruction of 45 hectares of forest cover. This underscores the escalating environmental hazards associated with prolonged drought conditions and their potential contribution to regional climate change impacts.
