This information was given at a forum on enhancing the community capacity for disaster prevention in the Mekong Delta, which was held in Can Tho on November 29.
An eroded spot in the Mekong Delta region (Photo by CK)
According to Tran Duy An from the Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning, since 2000, the Mekong Delta has experienced five major floods, leaving 1,830 people dead and submerging 488,800 houses.
From 2020 to 2023, 400 kilometres of coastline in the Mekong Deta region eroded, bringing about a total loss of 458 hectares.
The Southern Institute of Water Resources Planning also pointed out weaknesses in the Mekong Delta's irrigation system, such as narrowed canals, limited freshwater storage capacity, and a lack of pumping stations for effective water regulation.
The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting forecasted that from December 2024 to May 2025, the total water flow from the Mekong River to the Mekong Delta would be 5-15 percent below the multi-year average. Saline intrusion during the 2024-2025 dry season is expected to be higher than average but less severe than during the 2015-2016 and 2019-2020 dry seasons.