Dak Lak (VNA) – More than 20,800 hectares of crops and 8,300 households in the Central Highlands region, mostly in Gia Lai and D༺ak Lak provinces, have been affected by drought, according to the Standing💮 Board of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands.

Over 150,000 hectares of crops and 34,000 households in the region are forecast to face water shortages soon. Dak Lak province alone reported that 56 reservoirs have dried up and others are seeing severely low water levels. Over 9,200 hectares of crops in the province have been affected by drought, including 1,137 hectares of rice fields, nearly 7,800 hectares of coffee trees and 340 hectares of pepper plants. Some 5,300 households across the province have suffered from water shortages, mostly in the districts of Krong Ana, Ea H’Leo, Krong Buk, Buon Don and Cu M’gar. Around 80,000 hectares of crops, it is estimated, will suffer from a lack of water, a majority of them in coffee growing areas. Over 25,000 households fall in the same situation. Against that backdrop, regional provinces have encouraged locals to make efficiant use of water resources to irrigate crops and serve their daily activities. They have also inspected irrigation facilities and measured water levels at reservoirs in order to regulate water for production and daily activities. Temporary irrigation stations were set up in districts located along rivers such as Lak, Krong Bong, Cu Kuin, Krong Ana and Ea Kar in Dak Lak province. Localities have been guided to prioritise water resources for plants with high economic value such as coffee and cashew. At the same time, cultivation activities will be halted in areas where water reserves are not sufficiant. Along with encouraging local farmers to cultivate short-term and drought-resistant plants, the provinces also urge businesses to speed up the construction of irrigation facilities in the localities.-VNA