Drought at peak dry season impacts over 20,000ha of farmland
About 20,090ha of farmland and over 2,600 households have been hit by drought and water scarcity in the central region, Central Highlands, and southeastern region, which are now in the peak period of the 2023 - 2024 dry season.
Hanoi (VNA) – About 20,090ha of farmland and over2,600 households have been hit by drought and water scarcity in the central region, Central Highlands, and southeastern region, which are now in the peak periodof the 2023 - 2024 dry season.
The provinces with affected farmland include Binh Thuan 365hain the south central region, Kon Tum 57ha, Gia Lai 219ha (including 89ha ofrice and other crops completely destroyed), Dak Lak 2,056ha, and Lam Dong 660hain the Central Highlands, along with Binh Phuoc 9,115ha in the southeast, saidthe Department of Water Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (MARD).
Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc has recorded 1,900 householdssuffering from water scarcity, Gia Lai 100 households, Kon Tum 100 households,and Dak Nong 500 households.
The department forecast drought and water scarcity will peak inlate April in the Central Highlands and mid-May in the southeastern region. Thedry season will last through August in the central region.
The water volume stored in irrigation reservoirsnow stands at about 35 - 80% of their designed capacity in the central region,33 - 51% in the Central Highlands, and 45 - 80% in the southeast.
About 1,200ha of the 2023 - 2024 winter-spring crops in BinhThuan is forecast to be affected by drought. Across thecentral region, some 20,700 - 34,200ha of the 2024 summer-autumn crops arelikely to be impacted, the department noted.
The affected area in the Central Highlands will be about16,000 - 27,000ha.
In the southeastern region, irrigation reservoirs with theircurrent water levels and the coming rainfalls are capable of catering for thewinter-spring and summer-autumn crops. Meanwhile, as hot weather and droughtare predicted to continue until mid-May, about 8,000 - 12,000ha of crops in theareas outside the reach of irrigation works may be hit by drought and waterscarcity during the latter period of the dry season, the authority went on.
Giventhis, Nguyen Hong Khanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Water Resources,recommended localities continue response measures as instructed by the PrimeMinister and the MARD. They should also ready plans on water supply for people’sdaily life and production activities./.
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Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 
