Many forests are under the threat of wildfires and thousands of households lack fresh water in Mekong Delta provinces as the hot weather persists, local reports say.
Deeper seawater intrusion into the mainland is also making things more difficult for delta residents.
Two farmers in Soc Trang Province pump water from a canal into their field. Saltwater from the sea has entered rivers and gone upstream into most provinces in Mekong Delta, causing a severe shortage of fresh water for farming and daily use.
In Kien Giang Province, more than 26,000 hectares of cajuput forest in An Minh, Hon Dat and Kien Luong districts are affected by drought and facing a high risk of fire, officials say.
The Kien Giang Forest Management Department says it has coordinated with local authorities to implement many measures to protect the forests, including having rescue teams and vehicles on the ready.
Thousands of hectares of forests in An Giang, Long An and Ca Mau provinces are also facing a fresh water shortage and the risk of forest fires.
In the delta’s coastal areas, seawater intrusion poses a serious threat to land and freshwater sources.
In Tien Giang Province, seawater has penetrated 30 kilometers inland, and officials say the Van Giong canal has to be closed soon.
The Tien Giang Irrigation Department is worried about 6,000 hectares of winter-spring rice crop that are threatened by seawater intrusion.
In Ben Tre Province, seawater has penetrated 22 kilometers inland, and fresh water shortage is occurring on a large scale in coastal communes such as Thach Phuoc, Thua Duc and Thoi Thuan in Binh Dai district.
The Chairman of Thach Phuoc Commune People’s Committee, Ngo Van Thu, said a severe shortage of fresh water has affected 10,400 households who are having to buy it at VND2,000 for 40 liters.
Irrigation experts have forecast that seawater intrusion and shortage of fresh water will become more serious over the next several months, and might only ease off after May.
Some believe it is necessary for local governments to have strategic water resource management plans, including building works to control the volume, quality and movement of water bodies in the region.
They also need to have viable schemes to promote agriculture and aquaculture in order to help farmers avoid making huge losses, the experts say.
