Disasters and emergency response
Disasters
Locals join hands to fight against saline intrusion
In their fight against drought and saline intrusion, farmers in Tiểu Cần District of the southern Trà Vinh Province have contributed their own money to build canals and ditches. Each household in the Trung Tiến Hamlet of Tân Hùng Commune contributes about VNĐ70,000 (US$3) per every ...
Drought in Vietnam will become 'dangerous' in April: forecast
Drought and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam’s southern and central regions will persist through April, according to experts. Nguyen Dang Quang, a drought expert at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said at a Monday forum in Hanoi that the intense El Nino phenomenon from last year ...
Vietnam pushes for regional center to share Mekong River resources
Vietnam is willing to cooperate with China and other riparian countries to establish a cooperation center for sustainable use of the Mekong River’s water resources, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said, the Greater Mekong Subregion is facing major security and development challenges, especially pollution, ...
Laos releases dam water to ease drought in Vietnam's Mekong Delta
Laos has started releasing around 1,136 cubic meters of water per second from its dams to the Mekong River to help Vietnam’s southern region cope with severe drought and saltwater intrusion, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The country planned to keep doing so ...
Forest wildfires ring Mae Hong Son township
Forest fires were still burning high on mountains ringing Thailand’s provincial capital Mae Hong Son on 22 March, with firefighters struggling to reach hot spots in very difficult terrain. Keep reading ...
Kampong Thom communities facing water shortages
About 5,000 families in Kampong Thom’s Stoung district are facing water shortages as the hot El Niño climate pattern bakes Cambodia for the second consecutive year. While there is enough drinking water for the time being, some residents have to drive a considerable distance to ...
Forest fire detonates UXOs at Preah Vihear
A forest fire near the Preah Vihear temple complex in Cambodia caused decades-old landmines and other unexploded ordnance to explode on 20 March, according to regional military commander Duong Sam Neang. Keep reading ...
Water shortage grips half of Thailand - officials
More than half of Thailand is gripped by water shortages from the drought, according to the Department of Water Resources, but the irrigation chief remains positive that supplies can last until the rainy season if everyone steps up conservation efforts. Keep reading ...
Facing Mekong drought, China to release water from Yunnan dam
China has promised to discharge water from a dam along the Lancang River (better known as the Mekong) to help alleviate drought conditions in Southeast Asia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced on 15 March in a regular press conference that China will release water from ...
Ho Chi Minh City may spend $62 million on mobile pumps to fight flooding
In its latest effort to fight worsening flooding, Ho Chi Minh City has come up with a plan to invest VND 1.4-trillion (US$61.9 million) in a response team with mobile pumps. Keep reading ...