Localities in the Mekong Delta are entering the peak season of production and harvesting of winter-spring rice, fruit trees and aquatic products; this is also the time when the weather is unfavorable with drought and saltwater intrusion encroaching deep into the mainland. Therefore, production protection is being implemented drastically by the relevant agencies…

Close the sluice to prevent salt water from entering inside.

Although Hau Giang is a coastal area, in recent days, salt water has been intruding into Long My district and Vi Thanh city following the tide of the West Sea.

In mid-February 2024, the salinity measured by authorities at several key points in Long My district and Vi Thanh city exceeded the 2‰ mark. In particular, Vi Thanh city had a time when the salinity suddenly increased to 7.1‰ at the Nuoc Trong junction and 6.2‰ at the Lau canal area...

The Cai Lon - Cai Be sluice (Kien Giang) is operating to prevent salinity and protect production for hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice in the provinces of Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu... from being affected by salinity during the dry season.

Mr. Vo Tu Phuong, Head of the Economic Department of Vi Thanh City, said: “In the area, there are many types of crops that are easily affected by high salinity, such as nearly 4,000 hectares of winter-spring rice that are ripening, along with about 4,300 hectares of fruit trees and vegetables...

Therefore, when the salt water comes early, the authorities immediately deploy many response solutions to ensure production safety.

According to Mr. Phuong, 10 underground sluices have been closed to prevent salinity intrusion; 3 open sluices have been closed to prevent salinity intrusion; and staff have been assigned to closely monitor the development of drought and salinity to continue responding appropriately in the coming days.

Showing us the ripe rice fields, Mr. Dang Van Hieu, residing in Luong Nghia commune (Long My district, Hau Giang province), confided: "This year, rice has a good price, so people are focusing on preventing salinity and protecting rice during the near-harvest period to ensure a good rice crop."

Currently, Mr. Hieu and many farmers in the area are closely monitoring the development of drought and salinity, proactively taking as much fresh water as possible when conditions permit to supplement the rice fields. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Long My district, when the salinity exceeded 1.5‰, the locality closed dozens of sluices to prevent salinity to protect more than 17,500 hectares of ripening winter-spring rice.

Thanks to early implementation of extreme weather prevention solutions, no damage has been recorded so far.

In Ben Tre, the weather also has disadvantages. Ms. Le Thi Thu, residing in Vinh Thanh commune, Cho Lach district, shared: “My family has nearly 1 hectare of land to grow ornamental flowers, fruit trees and seedlings; these are plants that cannot withstand high salinity.

Therefore, when hearing the news that this year the drought and salinity came early and were complicated, the whole family implemented many coping solutions such as pruning branches, limiting fruit trees in this season, storing fresh water; regularly contacting specialized agencies to ask for timely support when the drought and salinity are complicated...".

Ben Tre Province Hydrometeorological Station assessed that in March 2024, there will be 2 saline intrusions from March 5 to 13 and from March 23 to 31. In April 2024, there will be 2 more saline intrusions from April 5 to 12 and from April 25 to May 1.

The deepest salinity intrusion on rivers is forecasted to appear in March at about 50km in Cua Dai River with a salinity of 4‰ in Tan Thach Commune (Chau Thanh District); salinity of 4‰ penetrates 62km deep on Co Chien River in Tan Thieng Commune (Cho Lach District)...

In addition to operating and closing sluice gates to prevent saltwater intrusion to protect production and domestic water, it is necessary to prevent the risk of coastal landslides; warn of dangerous hydrological phenomena accompanied by saltwater intrusion causing damage to aquaculture areas, fruit gardens, etc.

Store fresh water, maintain stable production

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ben Tre province acknowledged that saline intrusion in the 2023-2024 dry season will appear early, deep and last longer in the province at a level equivalent to and higher than that of the 2015-2016 dry season. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture is coordinating with localities to mobilize people to store rainwater and fresh water to cope with prolonged drought and salinity conditions.

According to Mr. Ho Ngoc Hau, Deputy Director of Ben Tre Province Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, the company is currently managing 1,695 culverts, 1 electric pumping station, 2,575km of various canals, 433km of embankments and Ba Tri freshwater reservoir with a designed capacity of 811,800m3.

In recent days, the company has implemented urgent solutions to prevent drought and water shortages according to the direction of the Central Government and Ben Tre province. Specifically, it will close the sluice gate to prevent saltwater intrusion when the salinity level rises, ensuring water needs.

In case of reduced salinity, fresh water intake at upstream sluices will be increased and downstream sluices will be drained to wash away salinity and solve environmental pollution...

Farmers in Tien Giang store fresh water to ensure irrigation for fruit orchards during the prolonged drought and salinity season.

Mr. Nguyen Van Man, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province, said: "It is forecasted that salinity on the Tien River in the dry season of 2024 will encroach 52-56km into the fields.

In order to prevent salinity and protect the freshwater source inside for production and daily life of the people; the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province sent a document to the Investment and Construction Management Board of Irrigation 10 (the construction unit) to operate the closure of the Nguyen Tan Thanh sluice gate to prevent salinity from March 7 until mid-April. When monitoring the salinity intrusion, the sluice gate opening will be calculated.

The leader of the Southern Irrigation Exploitation Company Limited, the unit operating the Cai Lon - Cai Be super irrigation project (Kien Giang), said that from January 2024 to now, when salinity intrusion exceeds 1‰ at Cai Tu station and salinity exceeds 1‰ at Tram Bau station, the company will operate and close from 9 to 11/11 Cai Lon sluice gates and close Cai Be sluice to prevent salinity; during the sluice closure, vehicles will move through the lock.

Currently, the company has assigned many officers and engineers to closely monitor the salinity situation, observe and check water levels and water quality; update the production progress of hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice in the project area in the provinces of Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu... to ensure salt prevention and adequate fresh water supply to ensure the safety of rice fields.

Besides, operate the sluice reasonably in providing salinity-diluted water for shrimp farming in coastal districts of Kien Giang province.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, requested specialized units and localities in the Mekong Delta to proactively monitor the weather and salinity changes; review the construction of temporary dams to prevent salinity, repair and upgrade embankments and sluices to ensure both high tide and salinity prevention.

Organize the operation of irrigation works reasonably to take the maximum amount of fresh water that appears for long-term storage; have solutions to safely protect hundreds of thousands of hectares of fruit trees and winter-spring rice at risk of being affected.

It is necessary to have a detailed plan for areas and households that may be affected by a lack of domestic water in the dry season, in order to have solutions to ensure the supply of domestic water for people and to prevent facilities from lacking fresh water for production during the dry season...

Determined not to let people lack water for daily use during the dry season

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in the 2023-2024 dry season, saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta will be higher than the average of many years, equivalent to 2020-2021; during the peak period (around February to April 2024), there may be a local shortage of fresh water and saline intrusion deep into river mouths.

To proactively respond to the risk of drought and local water shortages, the Prime Minister requested Ministers and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to proactively respond to the risk of drought and water shortages during the peak months of the dry season.

Closely monitor developments and forecast water resources, water quality, risks of water shortages and saltwater intrusion; at the same time, implement prevention, control and overcoming the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion, water shortages, and limit impacts on agricultural production, especially during peak drought and saltwater intrusion periods.

Determine the level of impact on each locality to proactively deploy specific response measures; guide people to use water economically and effectively; prioritize ensuring domestic water supply for people, medical and educational facilities and other essential needs, resolutely not letting people lack domestic water.