Hanoi (VNA) -  Thousands of hectares of farmland in thecentral region are likely to face severe water shortages for the summer-autumnrice crop, according to the Directorate of Water Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Reservoirs are running low, and smaller waterreserves are likely to dry out before the start of crop, which starts thismonth and runs until May, according to the agency.

From 13,000 to 22,000ha of cultivation area forthe summer-autumn crop in the north central region, which includes Thanh Hoa,Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, will beseriously affected by the water shortage.

In response, the directorate has recommended thatprovinces should adjust their sowing schedules or change crop structure.

At present, the total water volume of reservoirs in the northern and central regions is about 50 to 70percent of capacity.

But after supplying water for the winter-springcrop, the volume in some reservoirs has been reduced to 40 to 60 percent, anddown to only 32 percent such as the Cua Dat Reservoir in Thanh Hoa province.

Reservoirs in the Ma River basin and other areasin Thanh Hoa have seen their water volume down to just 36 percent, which isonly enough to irrigate 150,000 ha.

As a result, 10,000 ha must adjust their sowingschedules or change crop structure.

Meanwhile, reservoirs in Nghe An province are at62 percent capacity, enough to supply 110,000 ha of rice fields, leaving 6,000-9,000 hain Nam Hung Nghi and Dien Yen Quynh districts to run dry if hot weather occursin June and July.

In the southern central region of Binh Dinh, KhanhHoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, after the winter-spring crop, thewater volume in irrigation reservoirs would be 20 to 60 percent of capacity,and some even lower.

The water volume of Ka Nak and Dai Ninhreservoirs in Binh Dinh and Binh Thuan provinces are down to 15 percent oftheir designed capacity, leaving 50,000 ha out of a total 370,000 ha severely affectedby the water shortage./.