Reversing water from rain
In the last days of October, people in the coastal areas of the Mekong Delta are busy preparing for the upcoming drought and salinity. No longer the subjective mentality as before, people have considered freshwater storage as an inevitable part of life, the experience learned after many scarce seasons of having to "buy a can of water" for use.
In Hung Nhuong commune (Vinh Long province), Mr. Truong Van Trong (54 years old) said that his family has stored about 30m3 of fresh water in a concrete tank for use during the dry season, 2025 - 2026.
"In the dry season here, the water is contaminated with salt and salinity, making it impossible to use for daily life or production, so every rainy season, I store water. If there is no water reserve, I have to buy it, it is very expensive," Mr. Trong shared.
In the coastal commune of Tran De (Can Tho city), people are also taking advantage of all tools that can contain water from buckets, buckets, rollers, and buckets to ornamental pots.
Mr. Dang Ngoc Hoi in Mo O hamlet (Tran De commune) shared: "In 2024, this area will have a serious shortage of domestic water, sometimes only having tap water every 2-3 days. Every day is turned upside down, everyone has to buy bottled water or receive water from a benefactor, it is very miserable. Thanks to the available 3 large boxes of rainwater, my family still has water to drink. This year, I bought 2 more 1,000-liter air frontages to store water for the room when the drought and salinity are prolonged".
Meanwhile, local authorities also promote socialization to bring clean water pipes to remote areas for people. Typically, in Thanh Thoi An commune (Can Tho city), the government coordinated with the Center for Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation of Soc Trang to pull up nearly 5,000 pipes and install water meters for over 100 households.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Cam (70 years old) in Thanh An Hamlet, Thanh Thoi An Commune (Can Tho City) shared: "Previously, people mainly drilled water wells ( wells) to get water for daily use. In the dry season, water resources are scarce, and it is often contaminated with saltwater, only in the rainy season can fresh water be available. Now that the state has implemented clean water supply, we are very excited. Even though I am old, I still participate in digging up the road to install pipes and encourage my children and grandchildren to contribute."
Proactively respond early
Together with the people, localities in the Mekong Delta are also proactively developing a drought and salinity response plan for 2025 - 2026. The irrigation works system has been dredged and renovated, increasing water storage capacity and controlling water resources. Pumping stations, dykes, embankments and regulating sewers have been reinforced to protect production and people's lives.
In Soc Trang province (old), the plan to prevent drought and saline intrusion in 2025 has been issued since the end of 2024, combined with inland irrigation, rural transportation and domestic water supply in the dry season.
In Vinh Long province, 237 rural water supply stations are being maintained, supplying more than 482,000 households; closed connecting pipelines to support each other, ensuring stable water sources.
According to the Center for Clean Water for Rural Areas in Vinh Long province, the unit will increase salinity measurement, provide timely information, instruct people to store and use water economically, and be ready to respond when fresh water sources are scarce.
