HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Waterlevels are rising quickly in areas adjacent to Cambodia in Dong Thap province,weather forecasting and local authorities have reported.

According to the National Hydro MeteorologicalForecasting Centre, the water level is currently 2.33 metres at Tan Chaustation at the Tien River and 1.95 metres at Chau Doc station at the Hau River,0.2-0.3 metres higher than the same period last year.

The water level is forecast to reach its peak of2.9 metres at Tan Chau and 2.45 metres at Chau Doc on July 26-27, respectively,about a half metre higher than the same period last year.

Farmers and fishermen have been waiting for theannual flooding season to earn more money as the water is expected to wash awaysaline residue and protect aquatic resources.

Farmers living in coastal areas in Ca Mau, BacLieu, Soc Trang and Kien Giang provinces are relieved that water is slowingfrom the Mekong River as they will not have to face drought or salineintrusion, which occurred last year with devastating consequences.

For the last few days, farmers have beencatching linh fish, a specialty caught during the flooding season inthe Mekong Delta.

Pham Ut, 70, who lives in Dong Thap province’s HongNgu District, which borders Cambodia, said the soil had become impoverishedthis year.

Ut usually plants three crops a year, but hedecided to plant only two crops this year to wait for the water to enter theclosed embankment, as required by district authorities.

“For many years, farmers who grew three crops ayear faced low productivity because of the exhausted soil, and the fisheryresources also became depleted. I hope the flood season this year arrives soonso we can take advantage of it,” Ut said.

[Mekong Delta farmers begin shrimp harvest]

In the past, farmers in the Mekong Delta struggledto find ways to “live with the floods”, including resettling to other areas, ifnecessary.

To cope with flooding, the government has issuedmany policies to give loans to farmers to rebuild or improve their houses.

Closed dikes have also been built to help farmersprotect their rice fields from flooding.

However, water from the Mekong River has beendecreasing in recent years in Delta.

For many years, the region has had no floodseason, causing a decline in fishery resources and production losses.

Traditional crafts such as knitting nets andbuilding of fishing boats have also become rare.

Ut and many farmers like him in the Mekong Deltaare concerned that countries through which the Mekong River traverses arecontinuing to build dams at a fast pace, causing unpredictable impacts on thelower Mekong River. -VNA