Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, a representative of the Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) affirmed that water resources in areas across the country are still enough to supply agricultural production.
However, the Central Highlands region is currently entering the peak of the 2024 - 2025 dry season, with the risk of local droughts and water shortages affecting agricultural production in some localities. The Department quickly organized a working group to inspect the drought and water shortage situation in Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces.
Accordingly, in March 2025, in Gia Lai province, about 71.03 hectares of rice outside the irrigation areas of irrigation systems in Adok, Trang and Kdang communes of Dak Doa district were affected by drought and lack of water. This cultivated area has been recommended not to produce in the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring crop since the beginning of the crop due to water sources not ensuring water supply for production.
Kon Tum province has 3 hectares of Dak Tu Wit dam irrigation area (Vinh Quang commune, Kon Tum city) affected by drought and lack of water, however, the area has been pumped with additional water in time, so the impact is now gone. Currently, in the Central Highlands, domestic water is not affected by drought and water shortage.
In the coming time, the Department will continue to strengthen monitoring of meteorological and hydrological situations provided by domestic and foreign meteorological and hydrological agencies; organize water source forecasts, assess the impact of drought and water shortage on agricultural production to serve as a basis for organizing effective irrigation works.
Closely coordinate with hydropower reservoir management and operation units to develop a strict regulation plan, ensuring additional water sources for downstream in accordance with the ability of irrigation works to collect water and save water from hydropower reservoirs. Prioritize water sources for daily life, carefully prepare plans and strategies to ensure minimum domestic water supply for people at risk of water shortage due to the impact of drought and water shortage.
In addition, the Department of Irrigation Construction Management and Construction also added that in the Northern mountainous, Midland and Northern Delta areas, the average storage capacity of irrigation reservoirs is lower than the designed capacity and lower than the average, but there is no drought or water shortage.
