Drought Threat Casts Shadow On Agriculture

The one thing you can see from reading all of these entries, is that it doesn't matter in what part of the world you live in, people are the same when it comes to wasting natural resources. Countries are going to have to begin practicing more responsible water conservation if they are to survive. I do not believe this is just a fluke. This will be our way of life now, as we have allowed our greed and our dismissal of this problem to now escalate to a global crisis.








Drought Threat Casts Shadow On Agriculture

(04-01-2007)
The water level of the Hong (Red River) has reduced to such an extent that local people can walk across the river bed. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tung

HA NOI — Relevant sectors and localities nationwide have begun implementing measures to fight droughts, forecast to occur on a large scale this year.

Nguyen Dinh Ninh, Deputy Director of the Water Resource Department, said El Nino would affect the whole country, but the southern-central area, Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and southern regions would be the worst hit with droughts predicted to get more serious than last year.

Water flow in the northern rivers was expected to come down by 15-50 per cent from the average rate, and in the lower part of Red River by as much as 30-50 per cent due to diverting water to the two major hydro-power plants of Hoa Binh and Thac Ba.

While rains, expected around this time in the central-southern area and western Truong Son mountain, have kept away, the drought could stretch to August if it doesn’t rain till April.
With the dry season having started last month, and expected to continue till May, 2007, water in the rivers in central, Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and southern regions was expected to come down by 20-40 per cent, increasing drought and salinity.

The many factors causing droughts include the increasing demand for water, shorter rainy season and longer dry season, and shortage of water for irrigation.

With about 200,000ha of winter-spring rice crop in the northern area facing water shortage, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has urged localities to check the volume of available water, and asked them to carry out rice transplant only in areas having enough water.
Localities have also been urged to closely manage water resources, prevent loss of water, especially in reservoirs, monitor salinity and store water from tides for the winter-spring rice crop.
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More at the link.

Also see:

Severe Drought Persists Throughout Vietnam

Southeast Asia Drought/Maps





A farmer in Pleiku City examines her drought-plagued rice field.— VNA/VNS Photo Sy Huynh


Tens of hectares of rice in Ia Bang Commune in Gia Lai Province �s Dak Doa District have been damaged by severe drought. � VNA/VNS Photo Sy Huynh