Prime Minister directs proactive response to risks of heat and drought

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed and issued an Official Dispatch on proactively implementing urgent measures to respond to the risks of heat, drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion.

The Prime Minister requested Ministers and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and cities to proactively direct and drastically implement urgent solutions to prevent and combat drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, to avoid water shortage for daily life, hydropower, and to prevent production from being affected, especially in key areas, focusing on the following specific tasks:

Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and cities, especially provinces and cities in the Central, Central Highlands and Southeast regions, organize propaganda and instruct people to proactively store fresh water, use water and electricity effectively and economically, and thoroughly prevent water loss and waste.

The Prime Minister directed specialized agencies to inventory and evaluate water reserves at reservoirs and irrigation works in the area, calculate water balance to have a plan to operate each irrigation system, irrigation reservoir, hydropower, adjust and supplement water use plans, in which priority is given to water sources for daily life, health care for people, livestock farming and key production sectors.

The dispatch clearly stated the implementation of necessary measures to store water and prevent salinity; speed up the construction progress to soon complete and put into use irrigation works and domestic water supply; install and operate field pumping stations; extend water pipelines to connect water sources from urban areas to serve rural areas; transport domestic water to residential areas, schools, hospitals, and medical facilities in areas without guaranteed water sources.

Localities proactively implement water supply solutions to avoid water shortages for daily life and livestock farming, affecting people's health and lives, especially in mountainous and coastal areas where water shortages often occur.

Based on the specific situation of water resources and water supply capacity, adjust the crop season and crop structure appropriately, and convert rice growing areas in drought-stricken areas that do not ensure water supply to dry crops.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development assigned 01 comrade to lead the ministry to directly monitor, direct, inspect, and urge localities to develop and implement plans to prevent and combat drought and saltwater intrusion; organize specialized forecasts, direct and guide the adjustment of crop seasons and structures, and implement solutions to prevent and combat drought and water shortages.

Closely monitor weather and water resources developments, guide water regulation at irrigation reservoirs, manage water resources in irrigation systems; regularly check and evaluate water balance to adjust appropriate water use plans to best meet domestic and production water needs.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment closely monitors weather developments, strengthens forecasting, warnings, and assessments of hydrometeorological situations, promptly provides information to serve production direction in accordance with water resource conditions and proactively implements measures to prevent and combat drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion; coordinates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and localities to unify flexible operation plans, regulate water of large irrigation and hydropower reservoirs to proactively prevent and combat drought, water shortage, saltwater intrusion, and effectively exploit water resources during both flood and dry seasons.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade directed the Vietnam Electricity Group to review the electricity production plan in the context of water shortage at hydroelectric reservoirs to have a proactive plan to ensure electricity supply for production and people's daily life; increase the use of electricity sources, prioritize water from hydroelectric reservoirs to prevent and combat drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion; coordinate with media agencies to do a good job of disseminating and propagating awareness of saving electricity, especially during the peak hot months; calculate and propose flexible operation of large hydroelectric reservoirs to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for appraisal and submission to competent authorities for consideration and decision in order to effectively exploit and save water resources.

The Ministry of Health proactively guides people on skills to protect their health during prolonged intense heat; directs grassroots health forces to guide people on ensuring environmental safety, avoiding disease outbreaks due to prolonged heat, drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion.

The Ministry of Construction directs functional agencies, management units, and operators of large water plants to review and improve capacity and efficiency of water intake in accordance with water source conditions of reservoirs and river basins, ensuring safe water supply for people's daily life and production in downstream areas.

The Ministry of Information and Communications, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, Vietnam News Agency, Nhan Dan Newspaper and media agencies continue to do a good job of information and communication work, raising awareness of all levels, sectors, organizations, units and people to change, perceive, proactively use electricity and water economically, and proactively respond to drought and water shortages.

Other ministries and branches proactively direct, coordinate, and support localities in implementing work to prevent, combat, and overcome drought and saltwater intrusion according to their assigned state management functions.

According to VNA