Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Localities within the Cuu Long(Mekong) Delta are devising strategies to tackle the anticipated early onset ofsaltwater intrusion, projected to occur soon.

These strategies aim to secure adequate water for the winter-spring riceharvest and reduce the damage inflicted by drought and salinity.

The rainy season this year is predicted to have remained in the Mekong Deltaonly during the previous and the current month, concluding midway throughnext month.

Consequently, throughout the dry spell of this year and the next, the intrusionof saltwater is expected to appear a month sooner than the multi-year average,commencing in mid to late December.

Director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (SIWRR) Tran BaHoang said that the total rainfall this year was forecast to be about 1,350mm,only one% higher than 2015 (the year of severe drought), and about 13% lowerthan the average of many years.

A fresh water shortage is forecast in an area of 66,000 hectares in Long An, TienGiang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces.

Hoang said that this year's rainy season was forecast to end early, so watershortage could occur in the 38,000-hectare rice and shrimp production area inKien Giang and Ca Mau provinces.
The two provinces should pay attention to additional water sourcesolutions for aquaculture.

Meteorological experts predict that water levels in the lowerMekong River region this month will likely be 5-15% higher than the average formany years, and next month will be 10-20% lower compared to the average of manyyears in the same period.

From December this year to February next year, it will be 15-30%lower than the average of many years.

In the 2023-24 winter-spring rice crop, the Mekong Delta regionwill sow nearly 1.5 million hectares with an expected output of more than 10million tonnes.

The SIWRR defined that El Nino would likely last until the end ofthis year and into early next year.

Besides the above localities directly affected by saltwaterintrusion, drought is likely to affect areas which are about 30-70km far fromthe sea.

If saltwater intrusion comes early and lasts for a long time withhigh salinity concentration, some areas along the Tien and Hau rivers in VinhLong, Can Tho, Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces may experience saline droughtfor rice and orchards.

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent expert on the Mekong Delta ecosystem, said ElNino was happening but it was still unclear how strong it would be.

In case this year's El Nino is as strong as in 2015-16 and 2019-20, the droughtand salinity situation early next year may be very severe, and saline intrusionwill penetrate deep into coastal areas.

In the extreme El Nino, salinity prevention is only effective at the beginningof the dry season. By the middle of the dry season, from February next year andonwards, even if the people prevent saltwater intrusion, there will still be alack of fresh water inland.

Experts predict that in the dry season months of 2023-24, the water level inthe Mekong River upstream will be strongly influenced by tides.

Hoang warned that 43,300 hectares of fruit trees in differentprovinces in the Mekong Delta could be affected.

Localities need to pay attention to storing water from the beginning of the dryseason for use throughout the season.

The winter-spring crop of 2023-24 needs to be sown early, and should bebasically finished by the end of this year.

The Ca Mau peninsula needs to build temporary dams and dredge canals before theend of the rainy season.

To avoid drought and saltwater intrusion, besides arranging reasonable cropschedules, people can also use short-term rice varieties.

Instead of using 110-day varieties, they can use 95-day or 100-day ones.

Deputy Director of Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Tran Hoang Nhat Nam said that the provincial agricultural sectorwould closely monitor and inspect water source quality, water level, salinityin canals and in fields.

It will provide regular information to people for timely response.

For fruit growing areas, Tien Giang province constructed six culvertsconnecting the Tien River to ensure salinity prevention.

As for the eastern region, it plans that wherever salinity is, it will preventsalinity there.

In Dong Thap province, water-saving rice cultivation models are beingconducted.

Currently, the province has about 100 green agricultural models.

Experts believe that to overcome the El Nino challenge, an indispensablesolution is to raise people's awareness of the risks and impacts of saltwaterintrusion.

Deputy Director of the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentBui Van Tham said that the province has flexibly coordinated with districts andcities to train local people about natural disaster prevention and control.

Information and guidance on natural disaster prevention and response are broadcaston mass media./.