High risk of drought in the South despite heavy rainfall

According to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning, scattered unseasonal rains were recorded across provinces in the Southeast region over the past week. Cumulative rainfall since the beginning of the year has surged, reaching about 205.2% higher than the multi-year average.

Despite the above-average rainfall, reservoir storage levels have continued to decline, as most of the rain fell outside catchment areas or was absorbed by dry soil.

Currently, reservoir water levels in the Southeast region range from 54% to 91% of their designed capacity. Notably, storage levels in the Dong Nai and Sai Gon river basins remain lower than the same period in 2025, by 1.72% and 2.6%, respectively.

Across the region, water supply is still sufficient to support 111,120 hectares of the 2025–2026 winter–spring crop within irrigation systems.

For areas outside irrigation systems, except for some communes in Bu Dop and Ben Cat that have temporarily avoided drought thanks to recent heavy rains, the risk of localized drought remains high in many parts of Dong Nai and Tay Ninh provinces.

In response, the Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning recommends that local authorities and management units review reservoir operating procedures, avoid discharging water beyond actual demand, and strictly comply with approved water regulation schedules and plans.

Water should be allocated efficiently and conserved to ensure water security through the end of the dry season, especially in the Sai Gon and Dong Nai river basins, where storage remains below last year's levels.

For high-risk areas, particularly Dong Nai, localities are advised to activate drought response plans early, proactively dredge ponds and reservoirs, and prepare mobile pumping stations to utilize return flows.

Authorities should also maximize the use of water from recent unseasonal rains by urgently pumping and channeling water into field canals, natural ponds, and lakes for storage, thereby reducing pressure on major reservoirs in the latter half of March.