The project to build a freshwater reservoir system associated with irrigation infrastructure to serve the production linkage of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle sub-region is expected to provide irrigation water for An Giang, Kien Giang, and Can Tho; contributing to helping the Mekong Delta effectively respond to climate change, drought, and saltwater intrusion.
Building the largest freshwater reservoir in the Mekong DeltaIn July 2023, the Government issued a resolution on mobilizing ODA loans, foreign preferential loans and the re-borrowing rate of foreign loans for projects in the Mekong Delta region.
According to this resolution, the Government agreed to mobilize ODA capital and foreign preferential loans for 16 sustainable development projects in the Mekong Delta region to adapt to climate change.
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A freshwater reservoir in the highlands of Tri Ton district (An Giang province) provides irrigation water for agriculture during the dry season. (Photo: Vietnam Agriculture)[/caption]These 16 projects will include transportation projects, climate change response projects... with a total ODA loan of nearly 2.5 billion USD. Among them is the project to build a freshwater reservoir system associated with irrigation infrastructure to serve the production linkage of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle sub-region, borrowing from KEXIM, with a total estimated investment of 3,186 billion VND.
This is a "natural" project for sustainable development in the spirit of Resolution No. 120/NQ-CP of the Prime Minister on sustainable development of the Mekong Delta in response to climate change.
According to the initial proposal of An Giang province, the project has a scale of more than 3,050 hectares, located downstream of Tra Su sluice, within the Chau Doc - Tinh Bien flood drainage route, belonging to the flood control system of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle. The project has a total embankment length of over 42.6 km; the total water storage capacity is 94.53 million m3, of which the capacity on the canal (including Tra Su canal and main canals) is 25.85 million m3, the reservoir capacity is 68.68 million m3.
Once completed, the freshwater storage system linked to the infrastructure serving the production linkage of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle can irrigate about 30,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle including An Giang, Kien Giang and Can Tho city, helping to increase production efficiency and income for people. In addition, this system also contributes to helping the Mekong Delta effectively respond to climate change, drought and saltwater intrusion.
At the working session between the Ministry of Planning and Investment's delegation and the An Giang Provincial People's Committee on the above project in March 2023, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee Tran Anh Thu said that the freshwater storage system project associated with infrastructure serving production linkage in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle is not a project of An Giang province but a project within the irrigation system of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, managed by the Long Xuyen Quadrangle Irrigation Management Council. In which, the Chairman of the Council is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vice Chairmen of the Council include: General Department of Irrigation, People's Committees of An Giang, Kien Giang provinces and Can Tho City.
Proactive water storage in the Mekong DeltaWater storage for the Long Xuyen Quadrangle has long been recommended by experts and scientists. Within the framework of the Strategic Cooperation between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on climate change adaptation and water management, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has coordinated with the Netherlands to develop the Mekong Delta Plan to develop a strategy and vision to 2100 for this region on the basis of integrating climate change scenarios, sea level rise and socio-economic development. Accordingly, the Mekong Delta is divided into three regions, and recommendations on water resource management for each region are proposed to sustainably develop the Mekong Delta, adapt to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, including water storage solutions.
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Farmers in Quoi Thien commune, Vung Liem district (Vinh Long) make a reservoir using a plastic sheet to store fresh water. (Photo: Nhan Dan)[/caption]The solution of building reservoirs on river sections in the delta to store water during the flood season and supply water for the dry season is one of the important solutions, especially the Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi areas are very suitable places to store fresh water. Therefore, it is necessary to build large freshwater reservoirs to store water for the region to regulate fresh water for the Mekong Delta region that lacks water during the dry season.
Master Ky Quang Vinh, former Chief of the Can Tho Climate Change Office, also said that one of the measures to respond to climate change in the Mekong Delta is to store water. First of all, it is necessary to restore wetlands in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi areas. At the same time, the government needs to try to encourage people to open more scattered water storage areas in their families and villages so that when water is needed, it can be used immediately and the form of scattered water storage will not take up much space. In addition, Mr. Vinh proposed to study the storage of water in the underground water layer because the underground water in the Mekong Delta is currently depleted. If timely action is not taken, in addition to water shortages, the subsidence of the delta will also occur faster.
Thanh Luan
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