Vietnamese scientists have warned of the unusual increase in the depth of two major rivers in the Mekong Delta, with sand mining and hydropower dams said to be the cause. Vietnamese scientists have warned of the unusual increase in the depth of two major rivers in the Mekong Delta, with sand mining and hydropower dams said to be the cause. According to experts, instead of being accreted, the 250-kilometer long Tien (Front) River and 200-kilometer Hau (Back) River have become five to seven meters deeper since 2008. The Mekong separates in Phnom Penh into the Tien River, the main northern branch, and the Hau River, the primary southern distributor, after entering Vietnam. Leaders of the Truong Phat Company based in Tien Giang Province have submitted a letter to the Ministry of Transport, asking for the temporary cessation of sand exploitation in a 40-kilometer section of the Tien River. Against the backdrop of new record depths of the river, a continuation of dredging activity would … [Read more...] about Major rivers of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta become unusually deeper
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Mekong Delta deals with natural disasters, new hydropower dams
VietNamNet Bridge - This year’s historic drought and saltwater intrusion have been mostly caused by the extreme El Nino weather phenomenon. If the 11 hydropower dams in Mekong upriver become operational, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta will bear a ‘double disaster’. Six out of 13 provinces face natural calamities El Nino which began affecting Vietnam in late 2014 and is expected to last until mid-2016 has been the longest lasting El Nino in Vietnam. In the remaining time of the dry season, the average temperature in Mekong Delta would be 0.5-1.5oC higher than the years before, while the highest temperature may reach 33-37oC. The rainy season is forecast to come late, with the rainfall short by 30-60 percent and the river system’s streams short by 30-50 percent. Since the 2015 rainy season came late and finished early, the Mekong upstream flow was low and the water level is now at a 90-year low. The saltwater intrusion occurred two months earlier … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta deals with natural disasters, new hydropower dams
Mekong Delta struggling with drought, salinity
Mekong Delta struggling with drought, salinity Trung Chanh By Trung Chanh - The Saigon Times Daily CAN THO - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called on provinces in the Mekong Delta to focus on dealing with severe drought and saltwater intrusion that have taken a heavy toll on agriculture in the region. The provinces need to actively do whatever it takes to cushion damage caused by drought and salinity for agriculture and ensure sufficient clean water supply for local residents as drought and salinity are forecast to worsen in the coming months, Dung told a meeting in Can Tho City on March 7 with leaders of the provinces in the region. The measures include construction of urgent works that help ease the effect of drought and seawater intrusion on the Mekong Delta, heard the meeting on preventive measures against the calamity in the Mekong Delta region. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat told the meeting that drought and seawater intrusion have wreaked … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta struggling with drought, salinity
Geographic information system will be built in Mekong Delta region
In order to adapt to climate change, on December 17, in Can Tho city, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh city associated with Southern West Steering Committee held conference on "Building geographic information systems in Mekong River Delta (MRD). According to National University of Ho Chi Minh city, the construction of geographic information systems in Mekong Delta is a solution to help Southwest West Steering Committee; People's Committee of provinces, cities in Mekong Delta; managers, scientists and manufacturers have enough updated synthetic information on the status and evolution of natural conditions, natural resources, natural disasters and socio-economic situation. Geographic information systems in Mekong Delta include information technology infrastructure (both hardware and software), staffs of multidisciplinary science and technology, information processing (especially, information gained through satellite images with remote sensing techniques) and the database is … [Read more...] about Geographic information system will be built in Mekong Delta region
Mekong Delta Promotes Tourism Cooperation
Over the years, the number of domestic and international visitors to the Mekong Delta has increased significantly. However, by tapping advantages of available tourism resources, the Mekong Delta is more likely to grow stronger. With an area of nearly 40,000 km2, including 13 provinces and cities, the Mekong Delta receives alluvium of two rivers, the Tien and the Hau. Along with that, the system of canals and ditches has created a variety of ecosystems including estuarine ecosystems, wetlands, mangroves and islets with many biosphere reserves, national parks, nature reserves of high biodiversity, nourishing many kinds of rare animals and plants, such as in Mui Ca Mau National Park, U Minh National Park, Tram Chim National Park, and Phu Quoc National Park. On the other hand, the Mekong Delta has many beautiful beaches with a total length of more than 700 km, along with many attractive islands such as Hon Chong, Mui Nai and Phu Quoc. The statistics of the Department of Culture, … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta Promotes Tourism Cooperation