Laos is making hectic preparations for the building of one more hydropower dam – Pak Beng – on the Mekong river section which runs through Oudomxay province.

In the past, Mekong Delta residents, striving to produce as much rice as possible, built closed embankments to prevent floods and cultivate third crops. But now they need floods to preserve water to fight drought and saline intrusion.  

Dried fields, cattle dying of thirst, expensive drinking water, sea water overflowing houses. In 2016, the lives of millions of people in Mekong Delta, Central Highlands and central region were upset because of drought and salinity intrusion.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Environmentalists have underscored the importance of finding ways to store and share water resources in the Mekong Delta as climate change is inflicting huge damage on the arable delta.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Mekong Delta’s economy expanded 6.9% last year, well below 7.8% in 2015, marking the fifth consecutive year the delta had seen its economic growth cooling,

VietNamNet Bridge - Though it is the country’s biggest granary and fishery area, exporting $30 billion worth of products each year, the Mekong Delta still cannot attract major investments.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam still cannot take advantage of its 3,200 kilometers of coastline, 6,500 kilometers of rivers, 126 river ports, 2,300 passenger ports and 4,800 berths.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many Vietnamese food items are not available on the world market, while export items often do not have a Vietnamese brand name.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam is one of 10 countries with a thriving aquaculture sector, but increased water pollution in marine farming areas has created challenges for the industry.

Vietnam, which has proposed a transboundary water resources management policy, will take the initiative in storing water to cover its needs instead of relying on other countries, experts have said.

VietNamNet Bridge – Many provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are taking measures to secure freshwater for farming and household use since drought and saltwater intrusion is expected to be severe in the 2016-17 dry season.  

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nine out of the 13 Mekong Delta provinces will get a package of US$ 384 million for climate change response.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Around the end of November when the rice is ripe for harvest, children in the Mekong Delta take to the fields, hunting for rats. A sworn enemy of farmers for long, the rats are known as “Mr. Longtail” in some places.

VietNamNet Bridge - Forty-two construction works have been recognized as ‘green’ in Vietnam and the number is expected to increase, especially as metro areas look to build smart cities.

VietNamNet Bridge - While cross-border management of water resources is a necessary long-term strategy, the question is how to do it, experts say. 

The significant increase in temperatures, a longer dry season and shorter rainy season, rising sea water levels, and stronger southwest and northeast monsoons in the future could be advantages for the development of renewable energy projects.

 VietNamNet Bridge – An Giang Province’s Ta Pa mountain is one of seven peaks named That Son, which means "seven famous mountains".

VietNamNet Bridge – The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has told thermal power plants belonging to EVN to open their doors once a month to local authorities and the public to visit and monitor the operation of the plants.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam, especially the Mekong River Delta, has been warned for 20 years that it will be one of the areas to suffer most seriously from climate change.

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam will lose nearly 39 per cent of the total area of the MekongDelta – the biggest rice granary of the country if the sea level rises 100cm by the end of the century.