Nguyen Van Tinh, director general of the Department of Water Resources, speaks about Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s decision to grant VND500 billion to control salt water intrusion in eight Mekong Delta provinces

The loss of sand has caused erosion and increased salinity as well as subsidence in the Mekong Delta.

Mekong Delta has weak vulnerable geological structure, so any event in nature or human activities will have great influence on the land.

Many provinces have been bracing for it following a forecast that the intrusion of seawater up rivers would be early and severe this year.

The principle that Vietnam needs to pursue now is not to confront nature, but to respond appropriately and flexibly to new circumstances, such as climate change, by restructuring the economy. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Instead of trying to prevent salt water from entering land, some coastal localities have opened their doors to seawater, turning the water brackish for shrimp farming.

VietNamNet Bridge - Ten years ago, Vietnam began calling upon farmers to restructure agricultural production, but no considerable changes have occurred. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s demand for water is skyrocketing while water resources are being depleted, certain river basins are being overexploited and competition for water resources is soaring.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The prolonged drought and saltwater have damaged more than 81,000 hectares of shrimp breeding areas in eight Mekong provinces,

VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City will face its most severe drought in six decades over the next few months, the weather office has forecast, warning there will be a severe shortage of water for irrigation and saltwater intrusion up its rivers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Van Nghe, beyond any doubts, saw his house swept away by rising sea waters.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Severe drought and the resultant intrusion of seawater tides deep into the Mekong Delta are badly affecting the daily life of people there.

 VietNamNet Bridge – With around 75 per cent of Viet Nam's urban population living in low elevation coastal zones, many people will be affected by rising sea levels, experts have warned.

 VietNamNet Bridge – High levels of salinity in underground supplies has created serious shortages of fresh water for nearly 1,000 residents in central Quang Ngai Province's Duc Pho District.