Central and southern provinces in Vietnam are working hard to cope withrisks of forest fires and saltwater intrusion resulting from the ongoingdry season.

The Forest Protection Sub-Departmentof central Quang Ngai province is augmenting patrols at fire-prone sitesin 123 communes, deputy head of the sub-department Nguyen Dai said.

In each commune, his department has contracted with one resident whowill help authorities examine local forest fire prevention methods andinstruct others living there how to avoid causing fires while performingagricultural activities.

Fire prevention is alsobeing entrusted to families residing near forests, Dai noted, addingthat financial support has been provided for the work.

The sub-department said Binh Son and Duc Pho districts and Long DauMountain in Tinh An Dong commune, and Thien An Mountain in Truong QuangTrong ward are the most susceptible areas to forest fires.

In the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, agencies have beendemanded to closely monitor the salinity of rivers and irrigationsystems’ operations so as to prevent saltwater intrusion into keyagricultural zones such as the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, the western HauRiver, and U Minh Thuong.

Meanwhile, Kien Giang hasspent more than 2.5 billion VND (119,000 USD) on building 48anti-saltwater dykes in Kien Luong, An Bien, An Minh, and U Minh Thuongdistricts.

Though key rivers and canals have beencontaminated with saltwater due to tides and low rainfall, agriculturalfields have so far remained free of saltwater thanks to protectionfacilities, said Nguyen Huynh Trung, deputy head of the province’sIrrigation Sub-Department.

However, such facilitieshave not been built synchronously province-wide as Kien Giang cannotafford the construction expenses, he noted.-VNA