Farmers have to dredge each stream of water, while irrigation units are straining to operate field pumps to save rice.
Nghe An dredges each water source to save rice
Intense heat caused about 80ha of rice in Lam Thanh commune, Nghe An to be drought-stricken, fields cracked, rice slow to develop and at risk of wilting. The provincial Department of Agriculture proposed to supplement water from the Le Xuan Dao canal, support the operation of oil pumps and maintain makeshift pumping stations to save rice.
A similar situation is happening in Dai Dong, Hoa Quan, Hung Nguyen Nam, Kim Lien, Yen Hoa, Nga My and Nghia Hanh communes. In the fields, many rice fields are dry and cracked, rice grows slowly, facing the risk of reduced yield or total loss if the heat continues to last.
This summer-autumn crop, Dai Dong commune planted about 1,316ha of rice, of which more than 140ha are lacking irrigation water. The main reason is that lakes and dams are depleted, while many pumping stations do not have enough water to operate regularly.
According to the Nghe An Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, in May and June 2026, the whole province had more than 1,281ha of summer-autumn rice lacking water, concentrated in Kim Lien, Hung Nguyen, Lam Thanh, Dai Dong, Yen Hoa, Nga My and Nghia Hanh communes.
Localities are arranging pumping schedules according to each area, prioritizing water supply for rice areas in important growth stages; at the same time, regulating water from Bara Nam Dan, dredging canals and ditches, building embankments to retain water and using auxiliary pumps.
Quang Tri, Hue urgently fight drought
In the midday sun like fire, Mr. Nguyen Duy Huynh (residing in hamlet 6, Bac Trach commune, Quang Tri province) still went to the fields to check his family's 5 sao of rice. The entire area depends on water from reservoirs, but for many weeks, the drainage ditches have been almost depleted.
On the field, the field surface is cracked in long streaks, many rice fields are starting to turn yellow. Mr. Huynh said that if there is no rain or additional water sources in the near future, the rice may dry out, and his family is facing the risk of losing the summer-autumn crop completely. This summer-autumn crop, Bac Trach commune planted nearly 700ha of rice. Of which, nearly 70ha in Ha Trach area have been severely drought-stricken. At Da Lam dam, Tan My commune, the reservoir supplying water for more than 50ha of rice currently only has a small ditch. Most of the dam bed has dried white, cracked, and in many locations there is only a thick layer of mud left.
According to Mr. Tran Duy Hung - Head of the Economic Department of Tan My commune, the locality cultivates 447ha of rice, of which 27ha in Thai Thuy village is being affected due to dependence on Da Lam dam. Local authorities have installed field pumps, taking advantage of the remaining water to prioritize saving rice areas that are likely to recover.
Quang Binh Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company, the unit assigned to manage the irrigation system in the area, is undertaking irrigation for nearly 14,900ha of rice and aquaculture areas. However, Ba Nuong, Vuc Noi, Dau Ngon, Vuc Sanh - Cua Nghe, Khe Ngang, Mu U, Van Tien reservoirs and Rao Sen dam are at risk of water shortage, affecting more than 650ha of rice.
Three field pumping stations have been put into operation in Dong Trach and Tan My communes, ensuring water supply for 187ha of rice. The unit plans to install 5 more pumping stations in Bo Trach, Bac Trach, Hoan Lao, Phong Nha and Minh Hoa communes, serving drought prevention for nearly 889ha of rice.
In Hue City, drought is mainly concentrated in the A Luoi mountainous area. To date, the area of rice lacking water in A Luoi communes is 71.67ha, down from 191.84ha recorded at the beginning of the month.
In which, A Luoi 1 commune still has 0.17ha of water shortage, A Luoi 2 has 8.5ha, A Luoi 3 has 13ha and A Luoi 4 has 50ha. The reason is the shortage of rainfall, many streams and dams are depleted. Most of the mountainous irrigation works are small-scale, and water sources are heavily dependent on weather.
Irrigation units and local authorities are carrying out dredging, pumping, mobilizing oil pumps, building temporary dams and regulating irrigation water every 2-3 days. The electric pumping station at Hong Thuong resettlement area is also being operated to supplement water sources.
Drought is putting summer-autumn rice production in the North Central region at risk. In the long term, upgrading irrigation works, adjusting crop structure and proactively developing production plans suitable to extreme weather conditions are urgent requirements to protect farmers' livelihoods.
