Da Nang: Dams built to deal with lack of fresh water
The central city has begun construction of a steel dam – the second of its kind – on the lower Cam Le River to reduce salinity and deal with serious water shortages in the dry season this year.
Work starts on the second temporary dam on the Cam Le River in Da Nang. The dam will help reduce high salinity and a lack of fresh water for the city. (Photo: VNA)
Da Nang (VNS/VNA) - The central city has begun construction of asteel dam – the second of its kind – on the lower Cam Le River to reducesalinity and deal with serious water shortages in the dry season this year.
General director of the Da Nang Water Supply Company (DAWACO), Ho Huong, told VietNam News the project was urgently needed to solve serious saline intrusion thisyear.
He said the city would face water shortages this summer when the upstream flowwas forecast to be lower between April and September.
Huong said the two temporary dams, which would cost a total of 13 billion VND (565,000USD), would help the city collect enough fresh water to deed the Cau Do waterplant.
He said the first 180m long dam, which was completed in late January, hadhelped reduce salinity in the river to less than 1,000mg of salt per litre – aratio possible for fresh water collection.
The second dam, which started construction on Monday, would help lower theratio to between 500mg and 600mg per litre.
According to the regional meteorological station, water flow from upstreamwould fall from 40 to 90 percent, and salinity would reach more than 6,000mgsalt per litre – higher than the worst salinity recorded in 2019 (5,109mg perlitre).
Meanwhile, the city has also upgraded the An Trach pumping station to collectenough fresh water to supply the city’s demand of 310,000cu.m each day.
Experts from DAWACO said the steel panel structure was used to deal withsalinity in the Mekong Delta River, and could be rapidly deployed and removed.
Earlier this month, Da Nang asked management boards of the A Vuong and Dak Mi 4hydro-plants to discharge water from their reservoirs to save the city fromserious salinity that lasted 36 days.
Last year, the city’s water supply could only meet 70 percent of demand due tohigh salinity at the Cau Do water plant – the main source of fresh water for 1million residents and tourists.
Water shortages in Da Nang have been occurring for several years now, resultingfrom deforestation, low rainfall and the operation of hydropower plants on theVu Gia–Thu Bon river system covering Quang Nam and Da Nang./.
A conference was held in Ben Tre province on January 3 to discuss measures for coping with drought and saltwater intrusion which are getting more serious in the Mekong Delta this dry season.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) asked localities nationwide to stay active in responding to drought and saltwater intrusion, during a meeting in Hanoi on February 7.
Though saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta was predicted to come earlier and with higher level of salinity than that recorded in the 2015-2016 dry season, the damages to farming areas are expected to be less serious as authorities and farmers have taken measures to cope with the situation in the 2019-2020 dry season.
Saline intrusion has occurred earlier than normal in the Mekong Delta and is expected to affect a greater area this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has earmarked roughly 9.2 billion VND (over 396,700 USD) to provide 4,000 drought-hit households in Cang Long and Chau Thanh districts with access to clean water.
Mariam Sherman, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, said the World Bank remains committed to working with the Vietnamese government to develop the next phase of climate resilience and transformation for the Mekong Delta.
Under the directive, the PM instructed relevant agencies to regularly inspect, supervise and proactively implement disaster prevention, response and rescue measures in line with their assigned roles and mandates, ensuring readiness, avoiding passivity or delays, and maintaining operational continuity amid ongoing political and administrative restructuring at levels.
According to Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Space Centre and head of the project, this is the first study in Vietnam to simultaneously employ Sentinel-2 satellite data, advanced machine learning algorithms, and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform to model and monitor key seawater quality parameters.
The Deposit Return System is seen as a potential instrument for effectively advancing Vietnam’s vision of a circular economy, as outlined in Article 142 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.
The figures were highlighted in a Pre-Feasibility Study on a DRS tailored for single-use beverage packaging in Vietnam, conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting.
Young people should not view AI as salvation but rather as a tool under human control. Young creators should focus on learning and accumulating practical knowledge, using AI as a tool to carry out artistic projects in the most effective and cost-efficient manner.
Saigon Hi-Tech Park’s ambitious 50% renewable energy goal far exceeds the city’s 15% target, positioning the park as a trailblazing “living lab” for sustainable energy solutions.
Vietnam's economic losses from natural disasters are estimated to account for 1 to 1.5% of GDP annually - a steep price that will continue to rise unless the country takes strong action.
Wutip, the first storm in the East Sea so far this year, has wreaked havoc across central Vietnam, claiming lives, displacing residents, and causing widespread damage to houses, crops, and infrastructure, the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control reported as of 6:30 pm on June 13.
The tremor occurred at 7:39:46 am (Hanoi time), with the epicentre located at latitude 14.924°N and longitude 108.236°E, at a depth of approximately 8.1 kilometres. The natural disaster risk level was classified as 0 – the lowest on the scale.
Addressing a session on “Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Deputy Minister Hiep emphasised Vietnam's proposal in building sustainable financing in response to natural disasters, which aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction's goals.
Vietnam has demonstrated its strong commitments by participating in global sustainable development forums, signing multiple free trade agreements, and attracting support from international partners for the implementation of the SDGs.
The fight against plastic pollution could not succeed through isolated efforts, but it must be a collective endeavour involving the entire political system, businesses, citizens, and the international community, said Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy.
Lang Son Global Geopark, with its outstanding geological values, cultural heritage, and unique natural landscapes, represents a valuable addition to UNESCO’s global geoparks system.
In 2019, Quang Ninh became one of the first localities in Vietnam to launch a province-wide campaign against plastic waste, mobilising the participation of the political system, the business sector, and the general public. Other localities—such as Hai Phong, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City—have also effectively implemented waste-sorting initiatives at source, along with models for plastic-free markets and urban areas.
This year’s World Oceans Day on June 8 is themed 'Wonderful Oceans: Sustaining What Sustains Us', while World Environment Day is on June 5 with the theme: 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
According to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan, a fire prevention and control plan has been in place since the dry season began, including round-the-clock patrols and rapid-response teams to snuff out fires before they could spread.
Renowned artists including Ha Anh Tuan, Den Vau, and Phan Manh Quynh, along with many directors and attendees, took part in planting hundreds of rare tree species such as mun (Diospyros mun) and cho chi (Parashorea chinensis) in the Thung Bong area of the Cuc Phuong National Park, contributing to forest ecosystem restoration.
Work starts on the second temporary dam on the Cam Le River in Da Nang. The dam will help reduce high salinity and a lack of fresh water for the city. (Photo: VNA) 
