Hard-engineering solutions have been adopted on large scale to deal with
the on-going severe drought that has plagued central coastal provinces,
particularly those in the basin of Vu Gia-Thu Bon rivers.
The resolutions were outlined by Dang Duy Hien of the General Department
of Irrigation ( GDI ) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development during a recent online discussion facilitated by the
Government Online Portal in Da Nang City.
The solutions include supplying water on an alternating basis, installing on-site pumps and sharing irrigation water.
The official said his ministry has advised farmers at the places
without irrigation systems water to grow crops that need less water yet
produce good yield.
The ministry has worked closely with the
Vietnam Electricity to operate the hydroelectric reservoirs in a way
synchronised with farmers’ cultivation activities downstream.
According to Vo Van Diem, deputy director of Quang Nam province’s
Department of Agriculture Development, in 2012 the region experienced
irregular climate patterns, such as lower levels of rainfall (only 60
percent of the average amount).
During the winter spring
crop, the central provinces , the Central Highlands and the
Mekong Delta were all hit by the drought. From Da Nang City to
Ninh Thuan province, there were 4,000 hectares affected by severe
droughts.
Meanwhile, more than 32,000 large trees have died
due to the prolonged drought and hot weather in the protective forest
of Xuan Loc in southern Dong Nai province, according to the Xuan Loc
protective forest management boards director Hoang Dinh Long.
“It is the first time that the area has been faced with this
situation,” said Long. “We have no choice but hope for rain to come soon
because many efforts in drought prevention and bringing water from
reservoirs have had no effect.”
The province has asked local authorities to strengthen forest inspections in efforts to combat the drought.-VNA