Regarding the work of preventing and combating land subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested that investment preparation, survey, design, feasibility study report, site clearance, etc. must be immediately implemented in 2025.
On March 12, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to listen to a report on the Project on Prevention and Control of Landslides, Landslides, Floods, Droughts, and Saltwater Intrusion in the Mekong Delta by 2035, with a vision to 2050 (Project).
According to research results, most areas in the Mekong Delta subside from 0.5-3 cm/year; coastal areas commonly subside from 1.5-2.5 cm/year. Subsidence often occurs during the dry season, especially in years of prolonged drought.
Regarding the current situation of riverbank and coastal erosion, from 2016 to present, 812 landslides have appeared with a total length of over 1,191 km, of which, particularly dangerous landslides are 315 points/601 km (riverbank erosion 214 points/254 km, coastal erosion 101 points/347 km).
In the past 20 years, the Mekong Delta has only had moderate to small floods, lasting only 3-4 months compared to 5-6 months as before. However, flooding due to high tides and rain tends to increase.
In addition, in recent years, the Mekong Delta has experienced three severe droughts and saltwater intrusions, with two historically high ones in the dry seasons of 2015-2016 and 2019-2020.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to listen to a report on the Project on Prevention and Control of Landslides, Landslides, Floods, Droughts, and Saltwater Intrusion in the Mekong Delta by 2035, with a vision to 2050. Photo: Minh Khoi
Currently, the Mekong Delta region has not yet zoned the risks of subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion according to the provisions of the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control; has been slow to delineate areas with restricted groundwater exploitation, especially areas with excessive exploitation, causing rapid subsidence; there is a lack of good operational coordination between irrigation systems in case of extreme weather causing saltwater intrusion deep into the fields...
Warnings about subsidence, landslides on river banks, coastlines, and flooding are still general. Forecasting drought and saltwater intrusion is only relatively accurate in major river mouths; there is a lack of comprehensive and synchronous solutions.
The handling of subsidence and landslides on river banks and seashores is basically still a "patch where it hurts" situation. The dyke and irrigation infrastructure is not yet complete and closed, many dykes and embankments are degraded, with the risk of incidents occurring during the rainy and flood season. Many degraded irrigation works and sea dykes cannot ensure control of water resources and saltwater intrusion. The urbanization rate is increasing rapidly, and irrigation and drainage infrastructure cannot keep up.
The number of specialized hydrometeorological monitoring stations and salinity monitoring stations in irrigation systems is still small and does not cover the entire system.
At the meeting, leaders of the People's Committees of Kien Giang, Ben Tre, An Giang, Soc Trang, Ca Mau provinces and Can Tho City said that fundamentally and in the long term, it is necessary to complete and close irrigation systems to control saltwater intrusion, regulate floods, and ensure fresh water sources for production and daily life of the people; focus on handling coastal and riverbank areas that are dangerously eroded; resolve local flooding caused by high tides; unify resettlement programs for people moving out of areas with eroded riverbanks/canals/streams...
The representative of the Ministry of Finance recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Mekong Delta localities closely follow the Project's objectives and promptly identify priority projects and works to include in the medium-term public investment plan for the 2026-2030 period.
According to research results, most areas in the Mekong Delta subside from 0.5-3 cm/year; coastal areas commonly subside from 1.5-2.5 cm/year.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to fully absorb the comments; report to the Politburo on the implementation of resolutions, conclusions and directions of the Politburo, the Government and the Prime Minister on the work of preventing and combating land subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region... and at the same time develop a detailed and specific Program to be implemented from 2025 in the spirit of "speaking and acting".
The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Construction and localities to review, supplement planning, integrate programs and projects to support resettlement of people due to landslides, and prevent and combat natural disasters in the Mekong Delta into the urgent tasks of the Program.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment work with the World Bank to integrate and combine transport infrastructure projects with irrigation works using World Bank loans.
"Projects in the Program must immediately begin investment preparation, survey, design, feasibility study report, site clearance, etc. in 2025, as a basis for budget allocation for implementation in the 2026-2030 period," the Deputy Prime Minister said, suggesting selecting a number of projects that can be implemented in the form of public-private partnerships.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment needs to urgently develop an integrated project on economic development and climate change adaptation for the Mekong Delta region, Ho Chi Minh City, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province through the construction of the Vung Tau - Go Cong irrigation system.
Source: https://danviet.vn/hon-800-diem-sat-lo-han-man-gia-tang-pho-thu-tuong-tran-hong-ha-chi-dao-trien-khai-ngay-cac-du-an-o-dbscl-20250312173823415.htm
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