Local authorities in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have begun taking measures to cope with the effects of saltwater intrusion and drought in the upcoming 2020-21 dry season.

The current water level on the upstream rivers in the Mekong Delta is very low at present, affecting the livelihood of local residents.

Economic losses caused by natural disasters in Vietnam this year to September 27 had amounted to VND5 trillion (over $215 million), it was reported at a meeting held in the central province of Quang Binh on October 8.

The Mekong Delta region should take proactive measures to protect fruit orchards in the 2020 – 21 dry season as severe saltwater intrusion in rivers is forecast in the coming months, experts have said.

Authorities of several localities in the Mekong Delta have proposed three route options for building the 150-km long Can Tho – Ca Mau expressway.

The Dong Tam Group held an inauguration ceremony for the first phase of the Long An International Port in Tan Lap commune, Can Giuoc district, the southern province of Long An on September 26.

The Indian Government will support seven water management projects in the Mekong Delta provinces of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, and Tien Giang with non-refundable aid of $350,000.

Farmers in the Mekong Delta’s upstream areas are waiting for the flood season, which brings sediment to rice fields and other areas of aquatic resources. 

Le Van Vung, the owner of four hair salons in Can Tho City, regularly organises trips offering free haircuts to needy people in remote areas of the Mekong River Delta.

At some breeding farms in Vietnam, livestock is raised in a special way: eels are bred in plastic cans, pigs eat ginseng and listen to music, and buffaloes drink wine every morning.

Contractors and workers expect to complete construction of several major transport projects in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta before Tet (Lunar New Year Festival), which falls on February 12 next year.

Nam Can crab in Ca Mau province is famous for its high quality and delicious taste, while thoi loi fish is a wonderful dish for parties. These are among the many precious specialties available in the Mekong Delta region.

Farmers in Dong Thap Province’s Hong Ngu District will not grow the autumn-winter rice crop, the year’s third, on more than 9,000ha and will instead release floodwaters into their fields to fertilise the soil and destroy pathogens and pests.

There is a special class on Son Islet in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho’s Binh Thuy District, which all farmers from the local area can attend to learn English for free on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

About 5,600 households in Kien Giang Province’s An Bien District lack access to clean water and have to harvest rainwater or buy clean water from other areas, according to the district’s People’s Committee.

This year’s flood season in the Mekong Delta is likely to arrive late and if there is insufficient rain in the months to come, drought and saltwater intrusion may plague the region again during the next dry season, experts have warned.

Many sections of the western sea dyke in Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces in the Mekong Delta have seriously eroded and could collapse at any time if prompt protective measures are not taken.

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre is restoring a section along the banks of Ba Lai river that eroded when a temporary dam was removed along the banks.

The Ministry of Transport said it has invested 800 billion VND (34.5 million USD) for repairs and upgrades to national highways in the Mekong Delta this year to ensure traffic safety.

Nguyen Van Dao, from the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology talks to on the need to have a full and accurate report on saltwater intrusion  and the hydrometeorology system in the Mekong Delta.