All forces should be mobilised to cope with severe drought and saline intrusion in order to ensure food and fresh water for daily usage, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said at a meeting yesterday.

A resevoir is exhausted in Ea H’leo, Centrak Highland Province of Dak Lak. Agriculture minister said that all forces should be mobilised to cope with severe drought and saline intrusion in order to ensure food and fresh water for daily usage.

Topics addressed by the Central Steering Committee for Natural Calamities Preparedness and Control included measures to confront drought and saline intrusion in the Central Highlands, southern central and Mekong Delta regions.

Phat asked localities to closely watch weather and saline intrusion developments and water resources to adequately promote effective measures that would minimise production losses and stabilise incomes.

The committee pledged to mobilise all forces to cope with the situation and avoid hunger and possible epidemic to drought-affected people.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was assigned to closely supervise and issue reports on drought and saline intrusion for specific areas and localities. This helps local authorities set up effective plans for drought and saline intrusion control.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce asked the management agencies of hydropower reservoirs to supply fresh water to drought-prone areas as a priority task.

The local authorities should co-operate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to adjust production timetables to reduce losses caused by drought and saline intrusion.

This year’s drought was the most severe one in 100 years, and saline intrusion was worsened by the El Nino phenomenon in the Central Highlands, southern central and Mekong Delta regions.

So far, the droughts and saline intrusion have caused fresh water shortages in 390,000 households and damaged nearly 240,000ha of rice and more than 4,000ha of aquaculture production.

The total loss was estimated to be VNĐ5,200 billion (US$236 million).

According to the weather forecast agency, drought and saline intrusion are expected to expand to other regions in upcoming months.

Thus, preparedness measures should focus on supplying fresh water to people and livestock.

Colonel Truong Duc Nghia from the National Comittee for Search and Rescue said the committee has asked the Government to provide funds for purchasing water tankers and ships to transport fresh water to affected areas.

“The army would play a major role in supplying fresh water to save people and production,” the colonel said.

Localities continue to take measures against drought

The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control must continuously direct ministries, sectors and localities to implement measures to cope with and address the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion in the Central Highlands, south central region, and the Mekong Delta.

Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on April 15, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, also head of the committee, recommended closely monitoring the developments of drought and salinity and reporting back to the Government for proper revision and adjustment of policies to support the drought-hit regions.

The ministry will direct relevant agencies to forecast the impacts of saltwater encroachment in the Mekong Delta and evaluate water resources at hydropower reservoirs and river basins and help farmers shift to growing drought-resistant plants, especially for the 2016 summer-autumn crop.

It will also disseminate advanced irrigation and water-saving techniques to each locality, business and local, the Minister said, adding that the provision of water storage equipment for locals will continue with the foreseeable goal of ensuring sufficient food and fresh water for local daily activities.

Localities and relevant agencies need to keep reviewing water resources and anticipating the weather conditions to help people proactively cope with the possibly prolonged and extensive drought, and also take precautions against wildfires, he noted.

According to the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the rainfall in the Central Highlands and south central region from late 2015 to the present is very low, with hydropower reservoirs containing much less water than their designed capacity, and some small reservoirs even being dried out.

The drought has effected some 70 percent of the cultivation areas in these regions, with Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan being the hardest hit.

Saltwater has intruded as far as 90km inland in the Mekong Delta, about 10-25km farther than usual.

Up to 11 out of the 13 cities and provinces in the delta were affected by salinity which caused serious water shortages and damaged agriculture production.

As of April 13, 2016, more than 390,000 households in the Central Highlands , Mekong Delta, and south central region were faced with water shortages. Drought and saltwater intrusion damaged over 232,000 ha of rice, 61,992 ha of fruits, and 4,052 ha of seafood. The total economic loss was estimated at over 5.1 trillion VND (229.5 million USD).

Head of the Department of Search and Rescue under the Ministry of National Defence Truong Duc Nghia said military units have raised over 30 billion VND (1.35 million USD) to support locals in the drought-stricken regions. The units have transported 34,246 cubic metres of fresh water to residential areas in Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Tien Giang, and helped locals drill 59 wells and dredge 35 lakes and 10.5 km of canals.

The Governmetn and localities nationwide have also provided over 1 trillion VND and 5,220 tonnes of rice in aid to the regions.

VNS