The provinces with affected farmland include Binh Thuan 365ha in the south central region, Kon Tum 57ha, Gia Lai 219ha (including 89ha of rice and other crops completely destroyed), Dak Lak 2,056ha, and Lam Dong 660ha in the Central Highlands, along with Binh Phuoc 9,115ha in the southeast, said the Department of Water Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Meanwhile, Binh Phuoc has recorded 1,900 households suffering 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 in late April in the Central Highlands and mid-May in the southeastern region. The dry season will last through August in the central region.
The water volume stored in irrigation reservoirs now 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 Binh Thuan is forecast to be affected by drought. Across the central region, some 20,700 - 34,200ha of the 2024 summer-autumn crops are likely to be impacted, the department noted.
The affected area in the Central Highlands will be about 16,000 - 27,000ha.
In the southeastern region, irrigation reservoirs with their current water levels and the coming rainfalls are capable of catering for the winter-spring and summer-autumn crops. Meanwhile, as hot weather and drought are predicted to continue until mid-May, about 8,000 - 12,000ha of crops in the areas outside the reach of irrigation works may be hit by drought and water scarcity during the latter period of the dry season, the authority went on.
Given this, Nguyen Hong Khanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Water Resources, recommended localities continue response measures as instructed by the Prime Minister and the MARD. They should also ready plans on water supply for people’s daily life and production activities.
