Prime Minister directs proactive prevention and control of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion

Dispatch No.128/CD-TTg dated December 8, 2024, to the Ministers of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Industry and Trade; Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The dry season is approaching, and the water level in many reservoirs in the Central and Central Highlands regions is lower than the normal water level. The first months of 2025 may experience drought and local water shortages, especially in the South Central and Central Highlands regions; in the Mekong Delta, there is a possibility of local water shortages and deep saline intrusion into river mouths, affecting people's lives and production and business activities.

To proactively prevent, combat, and limit the impact of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, the Prime Minister requests:

1. Ministers, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, especially localities in the South Central Coast, Central Highlands, and Mekong Delta, direct the review and assessment of water resources, develop appropriate plans for water use to serve production and business activities, especially ensuring domestic water for people during peak months of heat, drought and saltwater intrusion.

2. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment:

a) Directing the close monitoring of weather, hydrology, and water resources developments, promptly providing information on the situation, short-term and long-term forecasts on hydrology, water resources, risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, especially in the Mekong Delta and the Central and Central Highlands regions so that competent agencies, localities, and people know and proactively implement preventive and control measures, avoiding passive and unexpected situations.

b) Organizing the collection of information on water resources, operation and regulation of hydropower reservoirs outside Vietnam's territory, and exploitation and use of water from countries upstream of transboundary rivers to serve the work of forecasting water resources for the Mekong Delta and some large reservoirs in the North.

c) Directing and guiding the operation and regulation of water reservoirs to proactively reserve water for daily life, power generation, and agricultural production, especially during the peak hot months.

3. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

a) Organize monitoring and proactively direct the implementation of measures to prevent, combat, and overcome the consequences of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion following the reality at each time and each region; direct and guide localities to adjust the season and organize appropriate production to limit the impact on agricultural production, especially in the Mekong Delta region.

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

4. The Minister of Industry and Trade directs electricity for production, business, and people's daily life, maximizing the efficiency of electricity sources from hydropower plants following the water regulation plan for production and daily life.

5. Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, especially localities in the Mekong Delta, the South Central Coast, and the Central Highlands: Organize the monitoring of weather developments, hydrometeorological forecast information, drought, and saltwater intrusion; determine the level of impact on each locality to proactively deploy specific response measures according to the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and following the actual situation in the locality, including guiding people to proactively reserve fresh water, use water economically and effectively; prioritize ensuring the supply of domestic water for people, medical facilities, education and other essential needs, resolutely not letting people lack domestic water.

6. Other ministries and branches, according to their assigned state management functions, shall proactively direct, coordinate, and support localities in responding to and overcoming drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, ensuring people's lives.

7. The Government Office shall monitor and urge according to its assigned functions and tasks...