Operating an anti-salinity sluice gate in Hau Giang province. Photo: L.T
Lack of fresh water, salinity extends deeper into the mainland
Mr. Nguyen Long Hoai, Head of Ca Mau Water Resources Department, said: Drought and salinity intrution are serious in Ca Mau. Supplementary fresh water will be provided after the intrusion has gone down in other provinces and cities in the saline intrusion area. But in Ca Mau, it will be dry when drought occurs and no supplementary fresh water will be provided. Currently, level 3 canals in the province's fresh water area are already dried out, the level 1 canals remain from 1-1.5m, the level 2 canals remain around 1m. As early as February, there was a shortage of water, if it expands to April, the drought situation this year will be more severe than in 2015-2016.
Also according to Mr. Hoai, up to this point, the rice area damaged by drought, saline intrusion in Ca Mau province has exceeded 16,000ha; about 3,500 households lack domestic water. Drought not only caused damage to crops and water sources but also caused landslides in traffic routes. Nearly 150 roads with a length of about 20 km have subsided, affected the traveling and freight activities of people.
In Hau Giang province, Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Based on the current situation, it is likely that in the dry season in 2019-2020, the shortage of water, saline intrusion in Hau Giang province will occur as fiercely as in 2016. Saline water will enter the province from both East and West Sea directions”. Through the results of measuring the salinity concentration from the West sea tide in recent days in Vi Thanh City and Long My District, salinity always maintains at high level, which is over 2%. According to Mr. Tran Chi Hung, if the hot weather continues and the water levels on the Cai Con, Lai Hieu, Cai Lon, Xang Xa No rivers, etc. continue to be low, the salinity will enter deeper into the inland with higher salinity.
Speaking to the reporter, Mr. Pham Quang Dao, Head of Soc Trang Water Resources Department, also said: As of afternoon of February 6, 2020, saline intrusion has penetrated deeply into canals and ditches with a length of more than 50km, from the sea gate. In Soc Trang province, the areas affected by saline intrusion in recent days include Long Phu - Tiep Nhut, Ke Sach and Cu Lao Dung districts. However, in Long Phu - Tiep Nhut area, people have basically harvested rice, so this year there is no serious damage as in 2015-2016. In Ke Sach district, people actively built embankments; so that in coming days, there will be losses only if salinity persists. In Cu Lao Dung district, water stored in canals is dried out, so if there is no supplementary fresh water in about 15 days, it will cause damage to many crops.
Active in respond
According to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, in February 2020, the flow from the upstream Mekong River to the Mekong Delta is likely to be very low, leading to serious saline intrusion in the region. Assoc.Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of Research Institute for Climate Change (Can Tho University), said: In recent years, the upstream dams store water right at the beginning of the dry season in the lower Mekong region which makes the drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta in 2020 is forecasted to be more severe and fiercer. Localities advise people to check salinity before watering crops, find ways to store water and use water economically.
Responding to drought and salinity, many localities in the Mekong Delta have been proactive from the beginning. Recently, the People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has issued a document directing the departments, functional agencies and localities to implement solutions to respond to drought and saline intrusion. In particular, localities develop water control plans suitable to specific water conditions; make statistics on damaged rice and farm production, compare with regulations to guide the establishment of procedures to request production restoration; supplement the plan for wildfire prevention and control in the 2019-2020 dry season in accordance with the weather conditions; assign and arrange forces, means and equipment in a spirit of initiative and flexibility, ready to respond promptly to incidents.
In Ben Tre Province, according to the Ben Tre Hydrometeorological Center, as of February 4, 2020, saltwater of 4 parts per thousand is likely to penetrate about 48-68 km from the river mouths. To respond to this, Ben Tre province has put into operation saline prevention works, including temporary dams on Xang Canal and temporary dams on Cay Da Canal; temporary dams on Ba Lai river, etc. in order to store fresh water for production and daily life of people.
According to Mr. Pham Quang Dao, Head of Soc Trang Water Resources Department, to effectively respond to drought and salinity in 2020, the province adjusted the schedule for winter-spring rice sowing 20 days earlier, so now the rice has been harvested nearly completely with no damage. While in 2015-2016, the rice loss was more than 24,000ha due to sowing according to the old seasonal calendar and the rice was harvested in February and March, the saline intrusion caused heavy damage. At the same time, the province recommends that people do not produce crop in late winter-spring. In the period of 2015-2016, there were nearly 20,000 ha of late winter-spring crop, but now the province has advised about saline intrusion and lack of fresh water source so only a few households in Long Phu area sow about 2,000 ha. In addition, this year, in Long Phu - Tiep Nhut area, thanks to the dredging of canals, the amount of water serving people in irrigation and living lasts for 20 days, previously it was only 15 days.
Along with that, Soc Trang Department of Water Resources works closely with functional units to regularly update changes in saline intrusion in the region and in the province; appoints the salinity monitoring staff to inform all members of the Steering Committee from province to district, town, city and chairmen of People's Committees of communes, wards and towns in the saline intrusion area. Using the media to advise people to take the initiative in living and production.
In Hau Giang, according to Mr. Tran Thanh Toan, Head of Department of Water Resources, the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control & Search and Rescue in the province has requested industries and localities to focus on implementing synchronous solutions from construction to non-construction. In particular, the system of embankments to prevent saline intrusion in Long My-Vi Thanh has closed 3 open culverts in Luong Nghia commune and Vinh Vien A commune; closed 4 open culverts and 10 round culverts in Vi Thanh City. Along with that, it is required that Long My district should urgently deploy to build a seasonal dam to prevent saline intrusion in the district concentrated in the communes with high saline intrusion risk: Luong Nghia, Vinh Vien A, Luong Tam. The provincial leaders also requested units and localities to implement measures to prevent saline intrusion, actively store water to limit damage to people.
Mr. Nguyen Van Su, in hamlet 10, Vinh Vien A commune, Long My district, Hau Giang province, said: “This year people have been actively storing water to serve production. With an area of 3ha of rice land, I have dug about 2,000m2 to store fresh water for several years. So even though the salt water intrudes, I still feel secure. Utilizing the water surface, I also stocked fish and am currently preparing to harvest. I just hope that farmers take the initiative in preventing and controling drought, avoiding neglect and relying on functional agencies”...
Master Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent researcher on the Mekong Delta ecosystem, said that for years of extreme drought, deep saline intrusion, there is no better way than early warning and avoidance to stay away from damages. In the long term, to enhance the resilience of the Mekong Delta, it is necessary to restore the space of the river; to allow water to enter the field again, starting with the reduction of a rice crop during the flood season in Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi. When floods reach these two areas, the bottom will be less flooded, there will be less need for enclosed dikes and allowing water to re-enter the field. Thus, in the dry season, there will be less drought and deep saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta.
