Solutions sought to drought, saline intrusion in Mekong Delta
Measures to deal with drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta region were discussed during a workshop in Bac Lieu province on April 17.
At the workshop (Source: VNA)
Bac Lieu (VNA ) – Measures to dealwith drought and saline intrusion in theMekong Delta region were discussed during a workshop in Bac Lieu province onApril 17.
Organised by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the event drew experts, scientists andmanagers from research institutes and universities, and representatives from regionallocalities such as Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Kien Giang.
Experts assessed solutions to adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion in this year’s dry season, whilediscussing the efficiency of transformative economic models that have beenimplemented to address the problem.
Coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta are mostly affected by salinity intrusionand climate change. Scientists said the best solution is to plant crops able toadapt to climate change.
Associate Professor, PhD. Vo Cong Thanh fromCan Tho University stressed the need to pay more attention to building infrastructure.
Climate change response infrastructureprojects must be effective, he said, adding that they should also not affectthe environment.
Duong Thanh Trung, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Lieu province, saidthe locality will restructure many production areas.
The province is concentrating on transforming ineffective rice production areasinto the rice/shrimp rotation model, he noted, adding that nearly 40,000 ha is applying the model.
The locality will replicate this model, while stepping up the transfer ofscience and technology and apply effective rice growing models, he said.
The Mekong Delta, thecountry’s largest rice granary, comprises 12 provinces and one centrally-runcity with a total area of 40,000 square kilometres and a combined population of18 million. It has been tasked with ensuring the country’s food security.
However, it is also one of the most affected by climate change, rising-sealevel and saltwater intrusion. By mid-2016, the Mekong Delta faced serious droughtand saline intrusion. This year’s dry season, drought, saltwater intrusion andriverbank and coastline erosion, is also extreme.
At present, salineintrusion is infiltrating regional localities, affecting a large area of rice andvegetables.-VNA
VNA
Related News
The Prime Minister has approved 284.5 billion VND (12.7 million USD) in aid to help 19 provinces across the country address the consequences of droughts and saline intrusion since early this year.
Despite a larger scale of plantation, winter-spring rice crops grown in the south are estimated to yield just over 11.36 million tonnes of rice, a decrease of 190,000 tonnes compared with last year.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has implemented a project on managing and mitigating the risk of droughts and floods in the greater Mekong Sub-region.
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has asked the government for 76 billion VND in financial support to help the province cope with drought and saline intrusion in the dry season in 2017.
A seminar on building plans in response to drought, saline intrusion and flooding which are consequences of climate change in the Mekong Delta region was held in Can Tho city on July 21.
According to marine experts, the repeated appearance of dolphins near the shore of Cai Chien Island is a positive sign that the local marine environment is well protected.
According to the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, as of May 12, more than 1,350 communes and wards nationwide were under the highest forest fire warning of Level 5, while 294 others at Level 4.
To support conservation efforts, the national park has invested in a comprehensive system of breeding enclosures, quarantine areas, reproductive research facilities, wastewater treatment systems and surveillance cameras.
The climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure project in Lang Son consists of two main components, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and environmental improvement; and technical assistance and capacity building, with AFD experts expected to train project management officials and local agencies in disaster response and climate adaptation.
Beyond helping Hai Phong tackle environmental issues, Eco Hopia's primary objective is to transfer advanced technologies to Vietnam, enabling local partners to master them and contribute to the sustainable development of the country's agricultural sector.
The number and activity of tropical cyclones and depressions over the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, and their direct impacts on mainland Vietnam are expected to be comparable to the multi-year average. The long-term average over the East Sea is 5.2 typhoons, with 1.9 making landfall.
Launched in 2021 with funding from the Norwegian people through WWF-Norway and WWF-Vietnam, the “Hue – Plastic Smart City in Central Vietnam” project aims to help Hue protect rivers, wetlands and coastal ecosystems from plastic pollution while building the city into a model plastic-reduced urban area in central Vietnam.
The Bac Lieu Forest Protection Unit under the provincial Forest Protection Sub-Department said that it had completed procedures to transfer and release the animal into its natural habitat.
Initiatives on biodiversity finance, carbon credits, public – private partnerships, nature-based tourism, and private sector investment are creating more opportunities to increase resources for ecosystem conservation and restoration, said an official.
Vietnam has established a network of 180 terrestrial and marine nature reserve covering more than 2.67 million hectares. These sites are being further strengthened to improve ecological connectivity, restore habitats and conserve endangered species. Forest cover remains stable at over 42%, contributing to water protection, climate adaptation and carbon absorption.
The animals included two masked palm civets, four stump-tailed macaques, and seven rhesus macaques. All belong to Group IIB under Circular No. 85/2025/TT-BNNMT issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the management of endangered, precious and rare species, as well as the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The animal was identified as a clouded monitor (Varanus nebulosus), weighing approximately two kilograms and measuring around 70 centimetres in length. The species belongs to Group IB — a category of endangered and rare forest wildlife species given the highest level of protection in Vietnam, with all forms of commercial exploitation and use strictly prohibited.
The stump-tailed macaque, scientifically known as Macaca arctoides, is classified as a rare and endangered species under Group IIB in Vietnam’s regulations on endangered wildlife management.
Ho Chi Minh City aims to push urban green coverage above 1 sq.m per person by 2030, while stepping up greenhouse gas reduction initiatives on the way to Net Zero by 2050.
Designed to process 2,000 tonnes of waste per day and generate 45MW of electricity for the national grid, the project is the first high-tech waste-to-energy plant in southwestern Hanoi, where large-scale solid waste treatment facilities have long been lacking.
The figure includes losses of 6.7 billion VND in Cao Bang province and 3.5 billion VND in Dak Lak province, while Quang Ninh and Thanh Hoa provinces have yet to report estimated damages.
The three turtles, each weighing around 1.5 kilogrammes with shells measuring about 25 centimetres long and 20 centimetres wide, are green sea turtles. They were accidentally caught in fishing nets and found drifting at sea near Con Co waters on May 16 by fisherman Bui Dinh Thuy in Cua Viet commune during a fishing trip.
In the central province of Dak Lak, violent rainstorms with strong winds and lightning injured one person and damaged 27 houses, one of which collapsed entirely. Seven houses suffered severe damage and 13 had roofs ripped off in Ea Kar commune.
The Hanoi People’s Committee organised Green Transition Day 2026 on May 16 under the theme “Green Transition - A Driver for Vietnam’s New Growth Model.”
Amid the scorching dry season in the dipterocarp forests of Buon Don, mahouts from the Dak Lak centre for elephant conservation, wildlife rescue, and forest protection management trek alongside elephants in search of water and food, while tending to their health.
At the workshop (Source: VNA)