Young linh fish, a product of the flood season in the West, has arrived, flood water has flooded the fields in the upstream area of ​​An Giang.

The flood that has just arrived in the Mekong Delta is higher than the same period last year, signaling that this year's flood season will be more abundant. Thus, after many years of only receiving small floods, people in the West are waiting for a flood season to return to bring livelihoods and balance the ecosystem of this river region.

Products of the flood season in the West: Young linh fish have arrived

Over the past few days, the water level in the upstream provinces of An Giang and Dong Thap has been constantly changing, bringing with it many products of the flood season. Among them is linh fish - a product that only comes in one season each year.

Mr. Phung The Vinh, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Phu district (An Giang) said that currently, the flood water level of the upstream Hau River has flooded into communes bordering Cambodia such as: Phu Hoi, Nhon Hoi, Phu Huu...

Young linh fish and other flood season products have also appeared in abundance at An Phu border markets. “The flood water this year is a bit higher than the same period last year.

We are waiting for farmers to finish harvesting the summer-autumn rice and then work with the communes to agree on releasing floodwaters to remove acidity and wash away alum in these three communes on the eastern bank," said Mr. Vinh.

Since late July, the upstream area of ​​the Hau River in An Phu District, An Giang Province has been flooded. Photo: Phuong Bang.

Since the end of July, along Vinh Te canal, Nhon Hung ward, Tinh Bien town and Vinh Te commune, Chau Doc city, An Giang province, water has flooded the fields, young linh fish at the beginning of the flood season have begun to arrive, people have taken advantage of the opportunity to spread nets and place traps everywhere.

“This year’s floodwaters came earlier and were a few inches higher than the same period last year, making people very excited. Hopefully this year’s floodwaters will bring a lot of alluvium. If there is a floodwater, people who make a living by fishing will have jobs and increase their income during the flood season,” said Mr. Cao Xuan Dieu, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Nhon Hoi Commune, An Phu District, An Giang Province.

However, compared to the end of July, the water level of the Mekong River decreased rapidly in early August due to little rain while upstream hydroelectric dams continued to increase water storage, causing a strong impact on the flood rhythm.

For the Mekong Delta, flood levels are affected by the upstream Mekong River, local rainfall and tides.

According to the Southern Institute for Water Resources Planning (SIWRP), the impact of a storm in the East Sea caused heavy rain in the lower areas of Laos and Cambodia in late July, causing the water level in the lower Mekong River to rise rapidly and exceed the average level of many years.

People in An Phu district, An Giang province, welcome the flood to catch aquatic products, including young linh fish during the flood season. Photo: Phuong Bang.

However, since the beginning of August, the water level has rapidly decreased to below the average level of many years. Specifically, on August 7, the water level measured at Tan Chau station on the Tien River was 2.26m, 0.32m lower than the average of many years and 0.13m lower than in 2023. However, the water level at Chau Doc station on the Hau River was 2.29m, 0.14m higher than the average of many years and 0.05m higher than in 2023.

Will this year's floods be different?

For many years, the Mekong Delta has only had small or extremely small floods due to climate change causing changes in rainfall and upstream hydroelectric dams blocking the flow.

Regarding the flood level in July being higher than the same period last year, Master Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent research expert on the ecology of the Mekong Delta, said: It has just been the rainy season so the water level of the Mekong River has started to rise.

However, the phenomenon of water levels in upstream areas such as Tan Chau and Chau Doc being higher than the same period last year may only be a short-term phenomenon due to the impact of a storm causing rain in the Vietnam-Laos border area in mid-July flowing downstream.

Accordingly, the Mekong River water level only rose from around Stung Treng, Cambodia down to the Mekong Delta, while the section from the China-Laos border down to Cambodia remained lower than average because large dams in China such as the Xiaowan Dam were still actively storing water.

Master Nguyen Huu Thien said that La Nina is forecast to appear in the period from August to November, with a high possibility of up to 70%. At that time, rainfall in the basin will increase. However, the climate is still in a neutral ENSO state.

“Therefore, the phenomenon of higher water levels than the same period observed in the upper Mekong Delta has not been supported by the water level from the upper Mekong River and there is no La Nina phenomenon causing heavy rain, so it is unlikely to increase abnormally in the near future.

The water level of Hau River in Tan Chau and Chau Doc also fluctuates up and down with the tides from the East Sea in cycles of low and high tide.

According to Mr. Le Dinh Quyet, Head of Forecasting Department of the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, the current flow of the Mekong River is no longer natural but depends on the regulation of countries along the river basin.

It is forecasted that in the next three months, water levels at the upstream stations of the Mekong River, the inland fields of the Dong Thap Muoi region and the Long Xuyen Quadrangle will rise rapidly. In October 2024, floods at the upstream of the Mekong River are likely to peak and then gradually decline. From mid-November to December, water levels at the stations will fall rapidly and switch to tidal regime.

The Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning also commented that the peak flood season this year is likely to appear in the first half of October.

The main flood peak on the mainstream in the upstream area of ​​the Mekong Delta is forecast to reach its highest level of 3.5 m in Tan Chau-An Giang (equivalent to alert level 1, 0.41 m higher than the flood peak in 2023). The flood peak in Chau Doc-An Giang will reach 3.2 m - 0.2 m higher than alert level 1, approximately equal to or higher than the flood peak in 2023 by about 0.27 m.

Regarding this year's flood season, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Can Tho University, said that in the last months of the year, storms and tropical depressions will increase significantly due to the El Nino phenomenon changing to La Nina, which will cause heavy rain and add water to the flow.

“Many people think that this year is the Year of the Dragon, so there will be big floods, but this depends on the intensity of the storm. I think that this year's floods in the Mekong Delta will be at an average level, higher than the past two years, but it also depends on the operation of the hydroelectric dams,” Associate Professor, Dr. Le Anh Tuan commented.

Floods help clean the fields, deposit alluvium, and people living on fishing in the upstream areas have the opportunity to increase their income, because fish and shrimp will follow the water. More than ever, people in the West are looking forward to a real flood season that will bring a bountiful harvest.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ca-linh-non-san-vat-mua-nuoc-noi-mien-tay-da-ve-nuoc-lu-tran-dong-vung-dau-nguon-an-giang-20240820171832841.htm