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| A man is seen walking on his dry field in Long An Province. Severe drought and salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta have been creating difficulties for the region’s rice growers and salt farmers - Photo: Van Nam |
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“Rainfalls will be increasing, and the rainy season in the southern region will officially begin at the end of this month,” said Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the center.
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Giam told the Daily on Wednesday that since early this week southern provinces and cities had been experiencing more rain though the rainy season this year was predicted to be 15 days late.
Measurements from the center indicate that the latest three-day rainfall was from 3.7 millimeters to 62 millimeters in each of the provinces of Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, HCMC, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang.
Giam said the rains had helped soften the severe drought, slowed salt intrusion in the Mekong Delta and supported rice growers, but tormented salt farmers.
Related to the water levels in the Mekong Delta’s rivers, Giam predicted that the delta’s provinces would hardly receive early floods as in past years due to the reduced water volume.
He also predicted that the decreasing alluvia in the water could lead to worsening landslides along the rivers of the Mekong Delta this rainy season.
The construction of more dykes and houses along regional rivers will also change the natural river flows and increase the occurrence of landslides.
“I think we need more quantitative analysis to accurately assess the reduction of alluvia in river water in the Mekong Delta,” he said.
V.N.N