Proactively respond to saltwater intrusion on rivers and canals

In the dry season of 2015-2016, saltwater appeared early from mid-December 2015, penetrated deeply and lasted until the end of August 2016, directly affecting the districts: Can Duoc, Can Giuoc, Tan Tru, Chau Thanh, Ben Luc, Tan An city and part of Thu Thua, Thanh Hoa, Tan Thanh, Duc Hoa, Duc Hue districts. Salinity of 1.0g/l appeared furthest on the Vam Co Dong river to Dong Thanh town, Duc Hue district and on the Vam Co Tay river to Rach Cai Tom canal (Tan Thanh district), about 130km from the Soai Rap river mouth. Drought and saltwater intrusion caused total loss and reduced productivity of about 10,000 hectares of crops, mainly rice, vegetables, and fruit trees, with an estimated total loss of about 194 billion VND. In 2019-2020, saltwater appeared from November 2019, nearly 1 month earlier than the same period last year. Salinity of 1.0g/l appeared furthest on the Vam Co Tay River to Duc Hue Bridge, Duc Hue District, about 130km from the Soai Rap River mouth and appeared furthest on the Vam Co Tay River to Moc Hoa Bridge, Kien Tuong Town, about 164km from the Soai Rap River mouth. Drought and saltwater intrusion caused total loss and reduced productivity of about 2,752 hectares of crops, with an estimated total loss of about 55.5 billion VND.

The province synchronously implements many solutions to manage and protect surface water resources in the area.

In 2023-2024, due to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon, prolonged heat, the rainy season came later than the average of many years and there was no unseasonal rain, so in the dry season, drought and saltwater intrusion were complicated and severe. Saltwater began to intrude into the Rach Cat and Vam Co rivers from mid-December 2023, 1 month later than the same period last year. Salinity of 1.0g/l appeared furthest on the Vam Co Dong river near Duc Hue bridge, Duc Hue district and on the Vam Co Tay river near Moc Hoa bridge, Kien Tuong town. Along with that, the hot weather is severe, the saltwater intrusion is increasing rapidly, encroaching deep into the canals in the fields, the rainy season ends early and comes later than the average year, there is no unseasonal rain, the domestic water supply at the transfer stations is not enough, so there is a widespread water shortage in Can Giuoc, Can Duoc, Tan Tru districts with about 10,040 households lacking domestic water.

Learning from the years of extreme drought and saline intrusion such as 2015-2016, 2019-2020, right from the beginning of the 2023-2024 dry season, the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue, and the People's Committees of districts, towns and cities have proactively deployed prevention and response work as well as issued plans to implement proactive solutions to prevent and combat drought, water shortages and saline intrusion caused by the impact of El Nino to protect water resources for agricultural production and people's lives in the 2023-2024 dry season in the province. At the same time, the Department coordinated with localities to inspect, survey the situation and share information and specific instructions on response preparation plans so that localities can promptly develop plans and proactively source water for production and people's lives in the province. Localities with real difficulties in water resources also proactively develop effective production and water supply schedules. Therefore, in the dry season of 2023-2024, agricultural production will not be affected by damage caused by drought and salinity.

However, to ensure more effective management and protection of surface water resources in the province in the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Environment recommends that central ministries and branches pay attention to supporting funding for Long An to invest in priority and urgent items to prevent and combat drought and saltwater intrusion such as investing in drought and saltwater intrusion prevention and combat projects, building irrigation systems, freshwater reservoirs in the province in the face of the risk of no flood season and deep saltwater intrusion into the fields to have enough water for production and people's lives; Invest in sluices to regulate water, prevent salinity, and store fresh water for the area between the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay rivers, from Ben Luc - Thu Thua canal to Phuoc Xuyen - Thanh Hoa canal to regulate water, prevent salinity, and store fresh water for the core area of ​​the two rivers against the impact of salinity intruding deep into the canals and ditches in the fields, and invest in building a salinity control system on the Vam Co river to proactively prevent salinity from intruding from the Soai Rap river mouth into the two branches of the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay rivers./.

Perseverance

Source: https://baolongan.vn/chu-dong-ung-pho-voi-xam-nhap-man-tren-cac-tuyen-song-rach-a191758.html