The forecast is not happy
Mr. Phan Hoang Vu - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province - said: Drought and saltwater intrusion have seriously affected life, production, daily activities, traffic infrastructure, sea dykes... throughout the province. In Ca Mau, the freshwater areas of U Minh district and Tran Van Thoi district are most affected.
The drought and saltwater intrusion in the freshwater area in Ca Mau province only occurs during the dry season and usually starts from January onwards, and can last for more than 6 months, while saltwater intrusion in the freshwater area can last longer. Drought mainly affects production and vulnerable subjects due to saltwater intrusion in the freshwater area.
Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Lieu province - said: From December 2024 to the end of January 2025, Hong Dan district is at risk of water shortage for shrimp farming, so farmers are advised to be proactive and switch to other suitable production models. The possibility of salinity penetrating deep into the fields, so the winter-spring rice crop needs to pay attention to the salinity in the canals. Before bringing water into the fields, it is necessary to measure the salinity and apply the method of alternating flooding and drying to save fresh water resources...
Be prepared to respond to reduce damage
As one of the provinces at the end of the freshwater source, Bac Lieu is often affected by saltwater intrusion every year in the dry season. To ensure response to high tides, saltwater intrusion and flood prevention, the province has proposed that the Central Government invest in the construction of projects such as: Project to build sluices along the west bank of Ngan Dua - Cau Sap canal (18 sluices), Vinh Loi district and Phuoc Long district, with an estimated capital of 300 billion VND; Project to upgrade the sluice system along National Highway 1A (21 sluices), Gia Rai town, Hoa Binh district and Vinh Loi district, with an estimated capital of 500 billion VND.
On the other hand, speed up the construction progress of the project on the system of works regulating and supplementing water for aquaculture in the southern area of National Highway 1A, especially the construction of a pumping station at Cau Sap sluice.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department, Ca Mau province - said: Currently, the system of sluice gates to prevent salinity, retain fresh water, and prevent tides in the whole province has 214 irrigation sluice gates and 25 pumping stations to regulate water, prevent salinity, retain fresh water, remove alum, and salt... basically ensuring stable operation, ready to respond when drought and saltwater intrusion in freshwater areas occur.
Faced with the risk of fresh water shortage due to drought and salinity, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province directed localities not to allow people to produce the third rice crop; absolutely produce according to planning and crop schedule; if production causes landslides, subsidence, etc., local leaders will be strictly handled.
