To focus on ensuring water supply for residents in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

To focus on ensuring water supply for residents in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam (Internet image) 

On April 8, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Official Telegram 34/CD-TTg on the focus of ensuring water supply for residents during high saline intrusion periods in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

To focus on ensuring water supply for residents in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

To ensure the provision of water for residents and proactively respond to upcoming saline intrusion periods, the Prime Minister requested the following:

(1) Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Information and Communications, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities in the Mekong Delta region, especially in areas heavily affected by saline intrusion such as Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau, must not be negligent or complacent; must closely monitor the situation, continue to implement effectively the measures to cope with heatwaves, droughts, water shortages, and saline intrusion as directed in Official Telegram 04/CD-TTg dated January 15, 2024, Official Telegram 19/CD-TTg dated March 8, 2024, and Directive 11/CT-TTg dated April 1, 2024, in which, focus should be placed on the following tasks:

- Continue to review and gather information on the water situation in each area, hamlet, and household, especially for households living in coastal areas, at the end of water supply sources, and in residential areas on islands, in order to develop specific and appropriate solutions to ensure water supply for residents and resolutely prevent water shortages.

- Review the reserve of fresh water sources in the region to balance and manage the supply for both domestic use and production purposes according to the actual water conditions in each area. In cases where the water demand cannot be met, priority should be given to using fresh water sources for domestic water supply to residents and other essential needs.

- Proactively allocate local budgets and mobilize other legitimate financial resources to promptly implement necessary measures suitable for the specific situation in each locality to ensure fresh water supply for residents.

- Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities will be held responsible to the Prime Minister if there is a situation where residents lack water supply.

(2) Minister of Natural Resources and Environment will continue to direct relevant agencies to closely monitor and provide timely and accurate information on water sources and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta to ensure that relevant agencies, localities, and residents are well-informed and proactively implement appropriate preventive and responsive measures, avoiding panic and unexpected situations.

(3) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to monitor and forecast the situation, provide timely information to localities and residents, and actively direct and guide localities to implement specific measures to prevent water shortages and saline intrusion and minimize the impact on people's lives and agricultural production.

(4) Minister of Construction will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities in the Mekong Delta in directing and implementing the work of ensuring water supply for residents and other essential needs in urban areas and towns.

(5) Minister of Information and Communications will direct and guide media agencies to continue effectively disseminating information, ensuring timely provision of accurate information on droughts, water shortages, and saline intrusion, avoiding negligence and complacency in leadership and direction, and not causing panic in response work.

(6) Other ministries and agencies responsible for state management will proactively direct, guide, and support localities in coping with the risk of water shortages and saline intrusion, ensuring the livelihoods of residents.

(7) Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang will continue to direct ministries, agencies, and localities, especially provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, to implement appropriate measures in response to droughts, water shortages, and saline intrusion.

More details can be found in Official Telegram 34/CD-TTg, issued on April 8, 2024.

Ho Quoc Tuan

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