Vietnam must take drastic measures to tackle drought and saline intrusion to help ensure water security and prevent the politicisation of water in the region.
Saline intrusion causes loss to crops in Ca Mau (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)ไ – Vietnam must take drastic measures to tackle drought and saline intrusion to help ensure water security and prevent the politicisation of water in the region.
Irrigation facilities, re-arrangement of crops as well as developing plant varieties and animal breeds adapted to dry conditions are among solutions to the issue.
Local authorities need to build reservoirs to store water during the rainy season to ensure fresh water for locals. Meanwhile, the Government should zone off production areas suitable for different natural conditions and make upgrades to irrigation systems, to help ease the dependence on rivers springing from foreign countries.
The country now has about 830 billion cubic metres of surface water, up to 60 percent of which originates upstream in foreign countries. The Mekong River, 5,000 kilometres in length, provides 76 billion cubic metres in water reserves for China every year.
Livelihoods and production in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region will be threatened when China constructs an additional 15 hydropower plants in the upstream Mekong River by 2030. Using up to 70 percent of the river flows, the dams will increase drought and saline intrusion in the lower base.
Saltwater has intruded as far as 90km inland in the Mekong Delta recently, 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 faced water shortages.
Drought and saltwater intrusion damaged over 232,000 ha of rice, 61,992 ha of fruit and 4,052 ha of seafood. The total economic loss was estimated at over 5.1 trillion VND (229.5 million USD).-VNA
Different countermeasures are being employed by many provinces to get through the impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion on local agriculture and aquaculture.
With the severe drought showing no signs of easing, economic losses to the southernmost province of Ca Mau have been estimated at tens of billions of Vietnam dong.
Vietnam appreciates the relevant countries’ efforts to coordinate in the sustainable use of the Mekong River’s water resources, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh said on April 14.
The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control must continuously direct ministries, sectors and localities to implement measures to cope with drought and salinity.
President Tran Dai Quang asked for Japan’s continued assistance in responding to climate change, especially drought and saline intrusion in the central, Central Highlands and southern regions.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
Saline intrusion causes loss to crops in Ca Mau (Photo: VNA)
