Prime Minister directs proactive prevention and control of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed Official Dispatch No. 128/CD-TTg dated December 8, 2024 requesting ministries, branches and localities to proactively prevent and combat drought, water shortage and saltwater intrusion.

Dankia - Suoi Vang upstream lake (Lam Dong)

Telegrams sent to the Ministers of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Industry and Trade; Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

Currently, preparing for the dry season, water levels in many reservoirs in the Central and Central Highlands regions are lower than normal water levels. In the first months of 2025, drought and local water shortages may occur, especially in the South Central and Central Highlands regions. In the Mekong Delta, there is a possibility of local water shortages and deep saline intrusion into river mouths, affecting people's lives and production and business activities.

To proactively prevent, combat and limit the impact of drought, water shortage and saltwater intrusion, the Prime Minister requests:

1. Ministers, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, especially localities in the South Central Coast, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta regions, direct the review and assessment of water resources, develop appropriate water use plans to serve production and business activities, especially ensuring domestic water for people during peak months of heat, drought and saltwater intrusion.

2. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment:

a) Directing close monitoring of weather, hydrology, and water resources developments, promptly providing information on the situation, short-term and long-term forecasts on hydrology, water resources, risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, especially in the Mekong Delta and the Central and Central Highlands regions so that authorities, localities, and people know and proactively implement prevention and control measures, avoiding passivity and surprise.

b) Organize the collection of information on water resources, operation and regulation of hydroelectric reservoirs outside Vietnam's territory, and water exploitation and use of countries upstream of trans-border rivers to serve the work of forecasting water resources for the Mekong Delta and some large reservoirs in the North.

c) Direct and guide the operation and regulation of reservoirs to proactively reserve water for daily life, power generation, and agricultural production, especially during peak hot months.

3. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a) Organize monitoring and proactively direct the implementation of measures to prevent, combat and overcome the consequences of drought, water shortage and saltwater intrusion in accordance with the reality at each time and each region; direct and guide localities to adjust the season and organize appropriate production to limit the impact on agricultural production, especially in the Mekong Delta region.

b) Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant provincial People's Committees to direct the flexible and effective operation of irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs and irrigation systems to exploit and use water resources effectively and optimally, ensuring water for both daily life and agricultural production and electricity generation, especially during peak hot weather periods.

4. The Minister of Industry and Trade directs to ensure electricity for production, business and people's daily life, and to maximize the efficiency of electricity sources from hydropower plants in accordance with the water regulation plan for production and daily life.

5. Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, especially those in the Mekong Delta, the South Central Coast and the Central Highlands: Organize the monitoring of weather developments, hydrometeorological forecasts, droughts, and saltwater intrusion; determine the level of impact on each locality to proactively deploy specific response measures according to the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and in accordance with the actual situation in the locality, including guiding people to proactively reserve fresh water, use water economically and effectively; prioritize ensuring the supply of domestic water for people, medical and educational facilities and other essential needs, resolutely not letting people lack domestic water.

6. Other ministries and branches, according to their assigned state management functions, shall proactively direct, coordinate, and support localities in responding to and overcoming drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion, ensuring people's lives.

7. The Government Office monitors and urges according to assigned functions and tasks...

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/thu-tuong-chi-dao-chu-dong-phong-chong-han-han-thieu-nuoc-xam-nhap-man-384269.html