Measures needed to make Mekong Delta adaptive to climate change
It is essential to promote sustainable development of the Mekong Delta in the direction of effectively adapting to climate change, given the region’s strategic position in national socio-economic development and security defence, experts have said.
HCM City (VNA) – It is essential to promote sustainable developmentof the Mekong Delta in the direction of effectively adapting to climate change,given the region’s strategic position in national socio-economic developmentand security defence, experts have said.
Covering a total area of 3.94 million hectares across 13provinces and city, the region is Vietnam’s largest agricultural productioncentre and holds an important role for the nation’s economy.
However, the region is facing a lot of big challenges,including climate change which is getting more and more unpredictably. If noappropriate measures are taken, the sea level rise will submerge about 40percent of the delta’s area by 2100, affecting the livelihoods of 55 percent ofits population and food security of not only the country but also the wholeworld.
Prof Dao Xuan Hoc, President of the Vietnam IrrigationAssociation, said that one of the main reasons for erosions and negativechanges along rivers and coastlines in the region is the lack of alluvium.
To develop the Mekong Delta sustainably, experts stressedthe importance of building the delta’s Integrated Regional Master Plan in2021-2030 with a vision to 2050.
In a recent conference to seek ideas and consultations fromleaders of Mekong Delta localities, experts and scientists for the draft masterplan, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the draft hasbeen designed on the principles of safeguarding locals, improving theirlivelihoods and protecting the environment, towards sustainable development in allthe three economic, social and environmental pillars, with people put at thecentre and climate change adaptation considered a development method.
Harvesting rice in Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA)
Secretary of Ben Tre province’s Party Committee Phan Van Maisaid solutions must be feasible while creating breakthrough changes and thereshould be both intra- and inter-regional solutions.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the coastaleconomic corridor development so as to open up a new development space to makethe delta worth of living amid climate change, he stated, highlighting theimportance of building mechanisms and policies to attract investment ininfrastructure, especially the coastal route connecting Ho Chi Minh City withlocalities in the region.
Secretary of Can Tho city’s Party Committee Le Quang Manhproposed investing more in science and technology, and agriculturaldevelopment, as well as in high-quality human resources in the agriculturalsector./.
Ho Chi Minh City and 13 cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta will step up efforts to foster tourism cooperation in the next five years, local authorities have said.
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh will dredge its 18 main irrigation canals that run a total of 162 km in the next four years at a cost of 387 billion VND (16.7 million USD) to improve the supply of water for irrigation during the dry season.
The most severe saline intrusion - the movement of ocean saltwater into riverine freshwater - is said to occur in the Mekong Delta region from February 8 to 16, coinciding with the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, since Chinese hydro-power plants have reduced their water discharge, which affects water flows downstream on the Mekong River, experts have said.
Many regions across the country, especially the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta, face risks of water shortage, drought and saline intrusion next month, according to hydro-meteorology experts.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA) 
Harvesting rice in Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA) 
