Saline intrusion

Saline intrusion in Mekong Delta increases in early March

March 1, 2021 by sggpnews.org.vn

In particular, the saltwater intrusion is forecast to enter 80-95 kilometers, 60-65 kilometers, 68-75 kilometers, 57-65 kilometers and 50-55 kilometers into Vam Co Dong River, Cua Tieu and Cua Dai rivers, Ham Luong and Co Chien rivers, Hau River and Cai Lon River respectively.

In the midst of the high saline intrusion, localities are recommended to limit irrigation during March 1-3 in order to minimize damage for agricultural production.

As for fruit-growing areas with high economic value but low salt tolerance, farmers should perform salinity testing before irrigation.

The upstream Mekong Delta River and the Southern region are predicted to maintain hot days without rain with the highest temperature of 31- 34 degrees Celsius. Extreme harmful ultraviolet radiation will hit the Central and Southern regions notably Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho City and Ca Mau in next days.

By Phuc Van- Translated by Huyen Huong

Minimal impacts of drought, saline intrusion felt in Mekong Delta

February 20, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

According to deputy head of the MARD’s Department of Crop Production Le Thanh Tung, thanks to early crop cultivation coupled with suitable technical measures, drought and saline intrusion will not affect rice quality and yield in the region, particularly rice areas in coastal localities.

Farmers in Go Cong Tay district, Tien Giang province harvest their 2020-2021 winter-sprining crop.

A report from the department showed that the country’s rice granary sow rice in an area of more than 1.5 million hectares, down 30,000 hectares from the 2019-2020 winter-spring crop.

Local farmers have harvested some 350,000 hectares, and the figure is expected at 550,000 hectares by the end of this month. The remaining acreages will be harvested from March to May.

Notably, drought and saline intrusion are said to affect only a small farming area. Some 10,700 hectares of rice in Tra Vinh province are forecast to face the risk of being damaged in the end of the winter-spring crop.

Tung said the region’s rice fields are expected to yield an average of over 6.9 tonnes per hectare, up 0.1 tonne per hectare from the same time last year. Meanwhile, rice output is said to fall some 60,000 tonnes year-on-year to 10.5 million tonnes.

Director of the MARD’s Southern Institute of Water Resources Research Tran Ba Hoang said that saline intrusion will be at a peak from February 15 to March 4, and is forecast to be lower than the previous year.

Pointing out several plantation areas likely to be affected by saltwater such as 1,500 hectares of rice in Long An, 15,000 hectares in Tra Vinh and 25,000 hectares in Bac Lieu, and 40,000 hectares of orchards in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long provinces, Hoang said without sufficient water storage, farmers will face critical loss.

Relevant agencies of the MARD recommended Mekong Delta localities build reservoirs in different areas, and upgrade irrigational system to cope with drought and saline intrusion.

Source: VNA

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta makes all-out effort to navigate saltwater intrusion

February 22, 2021 by tuoitrenews.vn

Provincial authorities in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta are going to great lengths in order to mitigate the damage for local farmers during this year’s saltwater intrusion season.

Saline intrusion may encroach further on the inland waterways of the Mekong Delta and reach its peak between February 25 and March 4, the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research anticipated.

By mid-February, many canals in Phu Vinh Commune of An Giang Province – the gateway to the Mekong River in Vietnam – had been almost depleted, which troubled the irrigation plans of local farmers.

As witnessed by your correspondent, the Vinh An Canal in An Giang, a 12-kilometer-long flow that supplies water to local farming, has dried up to its bed in various sections.

The canal used to be filled to its brim, which made it easy for farmers to water their crop, according to Le Thanh Tung, deputy chairman of the Phu Vinh Commue People’s Committee.

However, irrigation was much more time-consuming and costlier after the water source was depleted.

Water levels in local canals will stay low as the Mekong River flow might fall 10-20 percent in the dry season of this year against previous years, according to Luu Van Ninh, director of the An Giang Hydrology and Oceanography Station.

Meanwhile, Kien Giang Province will record peak salinity levels at its river outlets during the high-tide occurrence in March and April.

During these months, local canals will serve as a conduit for brackish water to flow to areas between An Giang and Kien Giang, specifically those without a saltwater drainage system in place.

In Tri Ton and Thoai Son Districts of An Giang Province, salinity rates will peak in April and May at 0.2-0.3 grams per liter.

Urgent measures

Comparing to the upstream province of An Giang, other provinces down the flow of the Mekong River are facing even worse drought.

The potential damage from saltwater intrusion, however, was mitigated in Soc Trang thanks to proactive drainage management, freshwater containment, and saline prevention, said Pham Tan Dao, head of the provincial Water Resource Department.

“We’ve opened a canal to divert fresh water into rice fields and then closed the gates to conserve enough water for winter-spring rice cultivation,” Dao said.

“We are entering the harvest season, which ends in about ten days.”

Local agriculture authorities advised against cultivating another crop of rice during this time due to risks of saltwater intrusion, he added.

Saline intrusion risks are also seen in Kien Giang, as a salinity rate of four grams per liter was reported to spread as far as 55 kilometers into the local Cai Lon River.

Taking cognizance of the situation, the provincial People’s Committee prioritized the optimal operation of the drainage system to prevent salinity and conserve fresh water for winter-spring rice crops and domestic water for residents.

“Thanks to the preemptive solutions, the province has not recorded any production loss from drought and salinity so far,” Dao noted.

In the neighboring province of Long An, authorities have started dredging canals and renovating irrigation pump stations to conserve water for the next dry season, said Nguyen Thanh Truyen, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Our Tan Tru and Thu Thua areas were not impacted, while the southern locales have also mitigated damage from saltwater intrusion by switching crop variants and conducting early germination,” Truyen said.

Root cause and solution

Water depletion in the Mekong River in late January and early February is caused by the renovation of the upstream JinHong Dam in China, which has throttled discharge flow to 1,000 cubic meters per second, according to Nguyen Kiet, head of forecasting at the Southern Region Hydro-Meteorological Center.

Major saltwater intrusion will take place in February, more specifically from February 10 to 15 and February 26 to March 2, while water volumes from the upstream Mekong River to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta may taper off 5-15 percent compared to a recorded average.

Saltwater levels will peak in the Vam Co River and Cai Lon River around March and April.

It is also anticipated that salt water of four grams per liter may spread a length of 55-75 kilometers from river outlets, 80-95 kilometers of the Vam Co River, and 45-52 kilometers in the Cai Lon River.

Kiet also denoted chances of off-season rain in the Mekong Delta during the dry months of 2021, which will help replenish fresh water and push back saltwater intrusion.

However, local authorities and residents should not rely on this possibility, as preemptive freshwater conservation remains the most realisitic solution.

“In the long run, a systemic design is required to bring fresh water from the Tien River to saline areas for desalination,” he remarked.

“Building embankments to prevent salinity does prove effective, but it’s not a sustainable measure since it does not curb the saltwater intrusion in groundwater.”

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HCMC delivers Tet gifts to needy people in Mekong Delta provinces

February 8, 2021 by sggpnews.org.vn

Speaking at the event, the city’s leader extended Tet greetings to people in the province and hoped they will overcome their difficulties.

On this occasion, the Phu My Hung Developemnt Corporation presented lucky money envelopes worth VND500,000 of each to 45 residents in communes of Ba Sao, Tan Nghia, Phuong Tra and Gao Giong in Cao Lanh District.

Previously, another delegation led by Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong handed over VND1 billion and 100 Tet gifts to the poors and areas severe drought and salinity in Ben Tre Province.

Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCMC, Le Hoa Binh (L) gives a donation to support local residents who affected by drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

HCMC’s leader offers Tet gifts to local people.

Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter , Phan Kieu Thanh Huong (L) hands over presents to disadvantaged people.

Vice Director of the HCMC Department of Tourism, Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu provides Tet gifts to the poors.

Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong hands over VND1 billion and 100 Tet gifts to the poors and areas severe drought and salinity in Ben Tre Province.

By staff writers – Translated by Kim Khanh