Prime Minister's instruction on focusing on responding to peak saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam

Prime Minister's instruction on focusing on responding to peak saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

The Prime Minister's instruction on focusing on responding to peak saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta is the content of Official Telegram 19/CD-TTg dated March 8, 2024.

Prime Minister's instruction on focusing on responding to peak saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam

According to the assessment of the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), there is a possibility of a peak saline intrusion period from March 10 to 15, 2024, affecting freshwater sources in many localities in the Mekong Delta, especially in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang provinces.

To proactively respond to the risks of high saline intrusion and local water shortage, the Prime Minister has requested the Ministers of relevant Ministries and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-governed cities in the Mekong Delta to continue monitoring the situation closely and implement the instructions of the Prime Minister's Dispatch 04/CT-TTg dated January 15, 2024, regarding proactive response to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saline intrusion, and to take decisive, timely, and effective measures, including:

(1) Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-governed cities in the Mekong Delta, especially in Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Tra Vinh provinces, should:

- Proactively allocate local resources, mobilize forces and means on-site, and immediately implement necessary measures appropriate to the specific situation in each locality to ensure freshwater supply for production and the daily lives of the people, resolutely preventing water shortages or the use of inadequate quality water for daily activities.

- Monitor closely, fully grasp, and timely provide information on water shortage and saline intrusion in each area to proactively implement specific and appropriate response measures in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

(2) Minister of Natural Resources and Environment should focus on monitoring water source conditions, forecasting, and providing timely information on water conditions in the Mekong River and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta to relevant agencies, localities, and the public, ensuring that preventive and responsive measures are implemented to prevent unexpected and passive situations.

(3) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development should continue to monitor the situation to provide specialized forecasts on water sources, water quality, risks of water shortage, and saline intrusion, while providing information to localities and the public. At the same time, proactively direct and guide localities to implement appropriate drought prevention, water shortage, and saline intrusion measures in accordance with the actual situation in each area, minimizing the impact on agricultural production.

(4) Minister of Construction, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and localities, should research and implement plans to gradually ensure proactive water supply for residents in areas that frequently experience water shortages and saline intrusions annually.

(5) Other Ministries and sectors should proactively direct, coordinate, and support localities in responding to the risks of water shortages and saline intrusion, ensuring the livelihoods of the people in accordance with their assigned state management functions.

(6) Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang is assigned to directly monitor and direct the implementation of this Dispatch and the Prime Minister's Official Telegram  04/CT-TTg dated January 15, 2024.

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