VietNamNet Bridge - Another unlicensed hydropower work is under construction, reporters have found.

 Drought and salinity have caused losses of VND5.6 trillion (US$249.89 million) for large swaths of the Central Highlands, south-central and Mekong Delta regions.

VietNamNet Bridge - Drought, saline intrusion and unmethodical business plans all have dealt a blow on enterprises, leaving them with a material shortage. 

VietNamNet Bridge - A Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI) shows that the climate change has had big impacts on agriculture, while coffee is one of the most affected crops.

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has planned to export 1.6 million tons of rice for the second quarter of this year, 200,000 tons lower than the initial plan.

 China will continue discharging water from a hydropower station into the downstream Mekong River for drought relief, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said on April 12.

 Many farmers who breed brackish-water shrimp in the Mekong Delta have cut back on production because of high salinity this year.

The HCM City authorities have given the nod to the Saigon Water Supply Company (Sawaco) plan to build underground water reservoirs in some parks in the city which would help ensure water supply after earthquakes and other natural calamities.

VietNamNet Bridge - National Assembly deputies, when consulted by the Finance & Budget Committee about the luxury tax law amendment, have proposed to lower the tax on cars.

Vietnam is following two solutions in a national program to save water – developing technologies which allow people to minimize the consumption of fresh water; and developing low-cost technologies which allow conversion of sea water into fresh water.

VietNamNet Bridge - Opinions vary about the rice supply in the context of the serious drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong River Delta, the rice granary of Vietnam. 

In the severe drought that has lasted for several months, water levels of hundreds of reservoirs in the Central Highlands are at 30-40% of capacity. In Dak Lak, 250 lakes are dry and the numbers are 17-40-5 in Dak Nong, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.

VietNamNet Bridge - Some mobile network operators have proposed to take back 2G network frequency to pave the way for the development of 4G network. However, some analyst say it is still too early.

 The first rainfall began spreading over the Mekong Delta last night, refreshing agricultural crops as well as lower temperatures after the long- lasting dry season in the region.

VietNamNet Bridge - Crippling drought and saline intrusion are forecasted to continue damaging the south-central, Central Highlands and southern regions in April due to the devastating El Nino phenomenon.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Mekong River Delta, Vietnam's biggest rice granary, is facing the most serious drought in the last 100 years. Can scientists make artificial rain to rescue the rice fields? 

 VietNamNet Bridge - Many scientists believe that reducing the area of wet rice cultivation to shift to aquaculture to utilize the available saltwater resources will be an opportunity for farmers in the Mekong Delta to get rich.

 The water discharged from China’s Jinghong Hydropower Station is expected to reach the Mekong Delta region in 19 days, according to Dong Van Tu, head of the Water Resource Directorate’s department of irrigation and dam safety.

 Drought and saltwater intrusion are predicted to continue damaging parts of the Mekong Delta despite China’s release of upriver water, said Chief Executive Officer at the Mekong River Commission Secretariat Pham Tuan Phan.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Drought and salt intrusion has worsened and damaged a large shrimp farming area in the Mekong Delta since the beginning of this year, causing material shortage for export processing plants