Shrimp prices have plummeted in the Mekong Delta since global demand has been hit severely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta are earning higher incomes from selling rice straw left over from the harvested 2019 – 20 winter-spring rice crop.

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent expert on the Mekong Delta, said he warned of severe drought and saline intrusion in mid-2019 after observing the flood season and the salty-fresh water boundary of the river.

Saltwater intrusion has affected many fruit growing areas in the Mekong Delta as local farmers struggle to secure irrigation water for their orchards.

The Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on March 23 raised the fire danger level in the locality from “very high” (level 4) to “extreme” (level 5) due to long-lasting heat and low humidity in local forests.

Vietnam is taking steps to ensure the country’s food security amidst heavy drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta region.

It is now the dry season, but landslides and subsidence are occurring in most localities in Mekong Delta.

Though saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta comes earlier and with higher level of salinity than that recorded in the 2015-16 dry season, the damages to farming areas are expected to be less serious

Lotus is the iconic flower of Dong Thap province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Food, drinks and various products made from lotus are popular among local residents.

All forests south of the Hau River in the Mekong Delta have been facing the threat of fire since the middle of this month, and any fire would spread very quickly because of the heat and low humidity, local authorities have warned. 

The UN Development Programme and the Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed an agreement on March 17 to support the Mekong Delta’s response to drought and saltwater intrusion.

The Mekong Delta region has been badly hit by saltwater intrusion. Experts have warned that the region will have to suffer prolonged drought and saline intrusion during the rest of this year’s dry season.

The Mekong Delta and southern islands like Phu Quoc and Con Dao are dominating domestic tour bookings as COVID-19 cases rise elsewhere in Vietnam.

With the country overwhelmed by fear of the novel coronavirus, another even more severe threat is slowly approaching in the south: the death of the Mekong Delta.

Warned about serious drought this year, provinces in the western part of the southern region have spent hundreds of billion dong to build fresh water reservoirs. But this is just a temporary solution.

Chau Tran Vinh, deputy director of the Water Resources Management Department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, talks about the need to adopt a flexible plan to cope with the severe droughts in the Mekong Delta.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a plan to provide VND70 billion to five Mekong Delta provinces – Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Kien Giang and Ca Mau – to respond to ongoing problems with seawater intrusion and drought.

Shrimp is a key export item of many provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta, but the Covid-19 epidemic has caused challenges for exporters.

Local authorities in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Long An, Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces in the Mekong Delta have declared a state of emergency as seawater intrusion and drought are worsening in the delta.

Provinces in the Mekong Delta are taking prompt actions to help local residents adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion during the dry season.