The El Nino phenomenon is projected to grow in strength through the end of this year, and is likely to persist into the following year.

Climate change and natural and man-made disasters are seriously threatening water security, as Vietnam depends on water sources outside its territory.

India, which provides 40 percent of global rice exports, is considering prohibiting the sale of rice abroad. The move may affect the global market and lead to an increase in Vietnam’s rice exports.

Vietnam's farm produce such as rice and coffee is acutely vulnerable to El Nino.

According to numerous agricultural experts, 2024 is projected to experience severe droughts, water shortages and saltwater intrusion due to the impact of El Nino, so it is imperative to develop a long-term response plan at the earliest opportunity.

El Nino is set to return in late May or early June, with the weather pattern likely to last till early 2024, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting of Vietnam.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on April 30 that water levels along the vast majority of the lower Mekong basin have now returned to normal long-term averages but are still lower than those during the 2018 and 2019 dry season.

Vietnam grappled with nearly 4,000 disasters and incidents in 2019, an increase of 57.9 percent compared to the previous year.

VietNamNet Bridge - Just days after a deadly torrential rain, a terrible spell of hot weather appeared in many localities with the temperature exceeding 40oC.

 Antarctica may be thousands of kilometres from the central Pacific but events there can have a significant effect on the White Continent's ice.

 VietNamNet Bridge – El Nino, which is forecast to last until the end of 2017, will cause drought and salinity intrusion in many areas of the country during the dry season, 

VietNamNet Bridge - Following 2016, considered by meteorological agencies to be the hottest year since 1880, hot spells this year are expected to come later and will be less severe.

 A sudden and abnormal warming of Pacific waters off Peru has unleashed the deadliest downpours in decades, with landslides and raging rivers sweeping away people, clogging highways and destroying crops.

 Hot, dry weather over the past two months has damaged European Union maize (corn) crops and this year's harvest is now expected to be almost as bad as in 2015 when production was also hit by drought.

 The strongest El Nino in nearly 20 years, which damaged crop production in Asia and caused food shortages, has ended, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Tuesday.

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.

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. 

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.