Mekong Delta provinces get help to cope with drought
An aid package of 530 billion VND (over 22.7 million USD) has been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to help eight provinces in the Mekong Delta deal with drought, water scarcity and saltwater intrusion, which have been taking a heavy toll on the agricultural production hub of Vietnam.
Farmers examine a rice field damaged by drought in Tan Tru district, the Mekong Delta province of Long An (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – An aid package of 530 billionVND (over 22.7 million USD) has been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc to help eight provinces in the Mekong Delta deal with drought, water scarcityand saltwater intrusion, which have been taking a heavy toll on theagricultural production hub of Vietnam.
Accordingly, Ben Tre, Long An, Tien Giang, Ca Mau andKien Giang will be provided with 70 billion VND each, while Soc Trang, Tra Vinhand Bac Lieu 60 billion VND each.
The support is meant to help them carry out urgentsolutions to prevent and cope with drought, water scarcity and saltwaterintrusion like pumping water, dredging canals, building temporary embankmentsto retain freshwater, digging ponds and wells to contain freshwater, extendingthe water supply network, purchasing equipment for water filtration andstorage, and delivering water to areas facing water shortages./.
Authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh have encouraged farmers to restructure their crop cultivation to mitigate the impact of drought and saltwater intrusion.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has allocated 800 million VND (nearly 34,000 USD) to five provinces which have declared an emergency due to saltwater intrusion.
Saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta will likely remain at a high level until the end of April or early May, before gradually declining, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter has received about 81.6 billion VND (3.47 million USD) in donations to fund the fight against COVID-19 and help people affected by drought and saline intrusion.
More than 43,500 ha of forest in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau is at high risk of fire during the existing dry season, which began in November and will last until the end of May, according to the province’s Forest Protection Sub-department.
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Farmers examine a rice field damaged by drought in Tan Tru district, the Mekong Delta province of Long An (Photo: VNA) 
