VietNamNet Bridge – The crops have been misled, the climate has changed with out-of-season fits of cold and heat. People now pay a heavy price for their activities of destroying pine trees. Da Lat, the romantic city which was compared as a little Paris, has gradually lost its special character.

Pine forests disappear, Da Lat gets ragged

Temperatures “dance”

According to the Lam Dong province’s Hydrometeorological Center, the average temperature in Da Lat City in 2003-2012 hovered around 17.7-18.6 oC. The experts have noted the little increase or decrease of 0.2 oC every year during the 10 years. However, the average temperature gap was higher in 2004-2005, 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 at 0.4 oC.

In 2009-2012, the temperatures went up and down unusually. In 2009, the average level was 18.2 oC, then increased to 18.6 oC in 2010. It went down to 18.1 oC in 2011 and soared to 18.5 oC again in 2012. The figures showed the irregular temperature increases and decreases and the increasingly high temperature gaps.

Dr. Le Phat Quoi from the Institute of Natural Resources and the Environment, an arm of the HCM City National University commented that the 0.6 oC increase over the last decade is worth of consideration (17.9 oC in 2003 and 18.5 oC in 2012).

The unusual fits of cold and heat in the last few years and the hail associated with whirlwind on May 7 both can show “something wrong” is happening with Da Lat’s climate.

Truong Tan Minh, 55, said he could see hails many times before, but affirmed that this was for the first time in his life he saw such a terrible hail on May 7.

Minh said the “stones” hailed down on people, and tore the nylon covers at the glass houses.  The hailstones stopped the water drainage sewers. The noteworthy thing was that it began on May 7 afternoon, but the hailstones still had not melted until the next morning.

A report showed that in the Ward No. 8 alone, the whirlwind and hail unroofed 20 hectares of glass houses and damaged 10 hectares of flowers and vegetables, causing a damage worth VND6 billion.

The little Paris…

Da Lat City in Vietnam has been compared with Paris in France. It is a city covered by fog, thousands of pine trees and the shiver cold.

However, local residents all have noted that it has been hotter since 1954 with more long rains. Having lost the temperate climate, pine trees and fog, Da Lat has gradually lost its special character.

MPK, a photographer, who has been well known for his pictures of Da Lat in mist, complained that it’s very difficult to find mist nowadays because it is rarely seen in the city.

The photographer said that tens of years ago, the fog was so thick early in the morning that people could not see each other though they were just tens of meters far.

MPK said the fog became thinner since 1993-1994, and the climate in Da Lat has also changed.

Dr. Hoang Dao Kinh, Member of the National Council of Cultural Heritages, said he feels regret for the “Da Lat’s faded-away beauty.”

In the past, Da Lat’s people always brought coats with themselves. Nowadays, restaurants have to install air-conditioners and electric pans to avoid the heat. Da Lat’s people have also got used with icy drinks, while they never ordered drinks with ice before.

NLD