Prime Minister's request: To proactively respond to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam

Prime Minister's request: To proactively respond to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam (Internet image)

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

On January 15, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Official Telegram 04/CD-TTg on proactively responding to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam.

Prime Minister's request: To proactively respond to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam

To proactively respond to the risk of drought, local water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, the Prime Minister requested Ministers and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to organize monitoring and proactively deploy work to respond to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion during the peak months of the coming dry season, which focuses on the following specific tasks:

(1) Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

- Direct and closely monitor the effects of El Nino, weather developments, and water resources; promptly provide information on the situation and short-term and long-term forecasts on hydrology, water resources, and the risk of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion across the country, especially in the Mekong Delta and the Central region and Central Highlands, so that authorities, localities, and people know and proactively implement measures to prevent and respond to the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, not being in a passive state.

- Organize the collection of information on the water resource situation, operation and regulation of hydroelectric reservoirs outside the territory of Vietnam, and exploitation and use of water by countries upstream of cross-border rivers to serve water resource forecasting, the risk of water shortage in some large reservoirs in the North, and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta.

(2) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

- Organize to closely monitor developments and have specialized forecasts on water sources, water quality, and the risk of water shortage and saltwater intrusion to provide information to localities and people; At the same time, proactively direct the implementation of prevention, control, and overcoming the consequences of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion in accordance with actual developments at each time and in each region; Direct and guide localities to organize production to limit impacts on agricultural production, especially during peak periods when drought and saltwater intrusion often occur.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and relevant provincial People's Committees to direct flexible and effective operation of irrigation reservoirs, hydropower, and irrigation systems to exploit, effectively, and optimally use water resources, ensuring water for daily life, agricultural production, and electricity generation, especially during periods of peak heat.

(3) Chairman of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, especially localities in the Mekong Delta, the Central Region, and the Central Highlands: Organize close monitoring of weather developments, hydrometeorological forecast information, drought, and saltwater intrusion; determine the level of impact in each area to proactively deploy specific response measures according to the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and in accordance with the actual situation in the locality, which guides people to use water economically and effectively, giving priority to ensuring water supply for people's daily lives, health facilities, education, and other essential needs; determine not to let people lack water for daily use.

(4) Other ministries and branches, according to assigned state management functions, proactively direct, coordinate, and support localities to respond and overcome drought, water shortages, saltwater intrusion, and ensure people's lives.

(5) The Government Office monitors and urges according to assigned functions and tasks.

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