HANOI: Tien Giang province in Vietnam has declared a state of emergency as thousands of residents face a “severe” shortage of fresh water due to drought and salinisation, state media reported on Saturday.
The province, located 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Ho Chi Minh City, has been grappling with a weeks-long heatwave that has exacerbated drought conditions and led to saline intrusion, particularly in the Tan Phu Dong area along the South China Sea coast.
According to the state-controlled Vietnam News Agency, the salinisation of waterways has severely affected crops and disrupted the lives of thousands of households in the region, home to approximately 43,000 people.
In response to the crisis, authorities announced a state of emergency specifically for the Tan Phu Dong district, where efforts are underway to transport fresh water to ponds and reservoirs to ensure a stable water supply for residents.
The ongoing dry season has exacerbated the situation, with prolonged drought and deeper saline intrusion from the sea encroaching into inland areas. This phenomenon is a recurring challenge for the Mekong Delta region, but the current conditions are aggravated by more intense heatwaves and rising sea levels, both attributed to climate change.
A recent study from the Water Resources Science Institute under Vietnam’s environment ministry warned of significant crop losses amounting to nearly $3 billion annually due to salinisation in the Mekong delta. Rice and fruit farms covering around 80,000 hectares could be impacted by the intrusion of saltwater.
The Mekong Delta previously experienced a devastating drought in 2016, described as the worst in a century, which resulted in the salinisation of 160,000 hectares of arable land.
