Vietnam is preparing for potentially severe water shortages as El Nino could cut river flows by as much as 78% in some regions, threatening households, agriculture and energy security.
Speaking at a regular press briefing held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on Sept. 16, Ngo Manh Ha, deputy director of the Department of Water Resources Management, said river flow deficits in central Vietnam, the Central Highlands and the southeast could match or exceed those recorded during the severe droughts of 2015-2016 and 2019-2020.
Flows could fall between 15% and 78% below long-term averages, he said.
Ngo Manh Ha, deputy director of Vietnam’s Department of Water Resources Management. Photo: Kieu Oanh
According to Ha, El Nino could prevent most hydropower reservoirs - around 70-80% of them - from storing sufficient water. The risk is particularly significant for 130 large reservoirs.
If that happens, regulating and allocating water for different uses downstream across affected river basins would become considerably more difficult.
Around 65% of irrigation facilities could also fail to store water up to their designed capacity.
“Irrigation reservoirs play a very important role in agricultural development,” Ha said. “Today, these reservoirs also serve multiple purposes rather than simply supplying water for industry, production and related activities.”
According to Ha, river basins across northern and north-central Vietnam, including the Red, Ma and Ca rivers, could face water shortages.
Declining river flows and water levels could put around 29 million people at risk of shortages affecting household use, production, business and services. Around 800,000 hectares of agricultural land could also face insufficient water supplies.
The situation could also pose risks to energy security and the stability of the power system because hydropower in these river basins accounts for a significant share of Vietnam’s total hydropower capacity.
Vietnam developing water scenarios for 13 river basins
El Nino could increase the risk of drought and water shortages across Vietnam. Photo: Thach Thao
With drought and water shortages looming, Ha said the key response would be to prepare well in advance and regulate and allocate water resources according to conditions in individual river basins, rather than waiting for shortages to occur before taking action.
“From now until the end of the year, 10 of 11 river basins, excluding the Red River basin, are in their flood season,” Ha said. “Therefore, storing water in reservoirs across these basins is extremely important if we are to reduce the risks in 2027.”
The Department of Water Resources Management has recommended that local authorities develop water-use plans aligned with reservoir regulation and releases.
In the coming period, the department will also work closely with the Department of Irrigation Works Management, the Electricity Regulatory Authority and specialist institutes to develop water-resource scenarios for 13 river basins nationwide.
“Once these 13 scenarios have been developed, we will have a more detailed and specific picture of water availability by November and December,” Ha said. “On that basis, if any river basin faces serious risks directly affecting daily life, production, agriculture or energy security, we will coordinate with specialized agencies to develop specific response plans for each region.”
Ha said addressing drought and water shortages would require coordinated efforts involving the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Construction and provincial and municipal authorities to minimize the impact on water supplies as much as possible.
Vietnamnet.vn
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