Dak Nong prevents drought from the beginning, from afar

Many solutions to prevent and combat drought and water shortages by 2025 have been discussed, agreed upon and implemented by provincial leaders and functional agencies in Dak Nong .

In recent years, Dak Nong has continuously faced droughts of varying degrees, causing many consequences, especially for crops. For example, in 2014, 2015 and the peak of the dry season in 2016 and 2024.

h1(1).jpg — Drought has occurred continuously in Dak Nong in recent years.

In 2024, Dak Nong experienced a severe dry season when drought raged in many areas. In particular, key agricultural production areas such as Krong No, Dak Mil, Chu Jut... had thousands of hectares of crops affected by lack of irrigation water, risking crop failure.

h2(1).jpg — In 2024, the whole province had over 12,200 hectares of crops, including long-term and short-term crops, affected by drought.

Hundreds of households in the province are also lacking water for daily use due to drought. According to the assessment of the functional sector, the damage caused by drought is very large.

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In 2024, the whole province will have over 12,200 hectares of both short-term and long-term crops affected, with reduced productivity and total loss. The most affected areas are mainly in Dak Mil, Krong No, Cu Jut, and Dak R'lap. Regarding domestic water, during the peak of the dry season, about 600 households in Krong No, Dak Mil, Cu Jut, and Tuy Duc districts will lack domestic water.

Dak Nong Hydrometeorological Station assessed that from December 2024 to April 2025, there will be changes in an unfavorable direction for agricultural production.

The average air temperature from December 2024 to January 2025 is generally approximately equal to or higher than the average of many years in the same period (TBNNCTK) by about 0.2-1 degree Celsius.

h4(1).jpg — Drought forces people to spend more money on production.

From December 2024 to January 2025, total rainfall is likely to be approximately equal to and higher than the average annual rainfall. Total rainfall from February 2025 to April 2025 is likely to be approximately equal to the average annual rainfall and fluctuates from 150-350mm.

Regarding hydrology, on the Dak Nong River (at the Dak Nong hydrological station), the water level is affected by the Lower Lake project in Gia Nghia City and depends on the Gia Nghia Lake regulation operation process. The average monthly water level is 0.70-1.50m higher than the average water level.

h6(1).jpg — Water levels in small rivers and streams are at risk of falling sharply in the 2025 dry season.

On the Krong No River (at Duc Xuyen hydrological station) and the Ea Krong River (at Cau 14 hydrological station), the water level fluctuates according to the operating regime of the hydroelectric reservoirs. However, it is assessed that the average monthly water level is approximately the same as the average water level in the past months, while on the Krong No River, it is approximately 0.30-0.60m lower than the average water level in the past months.

In some small rivers and streams, the water level fluctuates with a decreasing trend. There is a possibility of local water shortages and depletion in February 2025.

Krong No is the locality with the largest crop area and number of households affected by drought in the province. Mr. Doan Gia Loc, Head of the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the locality has actively implemented many solutions to combat drought for many years. In 2025, there is a forecast of a high risk of drought. The district has built a suitable crop calendar, coordinated with the irrigation management unit to regulate water reasonably, and converted the crop structure...

Farmers in Krong No district proactively change crop structure on rice land

Krong No has stepped up its efforts to encourage people to switch to short-term crops to combat drought. The change in crop structure has been supported and welcomed by the people in the district. This has helped reduce drought for short-term crops. This is also a solution that the district will promote and encourage people to implement in the coming time.

During the hot weather, Mr. Ban Van Minh's coffee plantation in Nam N'dir commune, Krong No district is still green thanks to irrigation water (photo taken in May 2024). Photo: Le Phuoc

According to Mr. Loc, to combat drought, investing in the construction and upgrading of irrigation works to increase annual irrigation and drainage capacity is the most necessary thing.

Regarding this content, Mr. Le Trong Yen, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said that the province has directed the proactive assurance of water resources and drought prevention in the 2025 dry season from November 2024.

The motto that Dak Nong especially values is to proactively prevent and combat drought from the beginning, from afar. Relevant sectors and units calculate specific plans and measures suitable to reality and resources.

h9(1).jpg — People have a high demand for digging small ponds to store water to fight drought.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the province has Resolution 07 of 2019 and a plan of the Provincial People's Committee on supporting the development of small ponds and lakes. The Department of Agriculture needs to reorganize and properly implement the spirit of the above resolution to reduce drought. This is a very suitable way in the context of limited provincial budget. Because, building large projects has many accompanying problems, requiring large capital, site clearance...

"Supporting people to build and upgrade small ponds and lakes is an effective method both in the short and long term, and will be highly supported by the people," the Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee emphasized.

The province has directed all levels and specialized units to promote forest management and protection activities, afforestation, and replication of agroforestry models to increase forest cover. This solution will reduce the decline of groundwater and surface water levels, and regulate temperature.

Mr. Nguyen Thua Anh, Chairman and Director of Dak Nong Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, said: In areas with annual drought such as Krong No, Dak Mil, and Cu Jut, the company proposed to build more dams or dredge, renovate, and upgrade small dams to increase storage capacity.

h10(1).jpg — Every year, Dak Nong Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited always builds sacks to raise the spillway to store water.

Company branches have built up earthen sacks to raise the spillway from 40cm to 120cm at 40 small-capacity reservoirs that are at risk of drought at the end of the season.

The company coordinated with the People's Committees of communes and wards to survey and build 46 dams and temporary dams on natural streams to take advantage of water resources, bringing water into intra-field canals and rice fields in areas where dams have not been built on streams.

The Krong No Branch Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited is operating pumping stations along the Krong No River well. Photo: Le Phuoc

According to Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, "The agricultural sector should do a better job in grasping the practical situation, keeping a close eye on the grassroots, understanding the reality, closely forecasting upcoming impacts to develop and implement appropriate drought prevention solutions."

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will grasp the grassroots to advise and implement effective drought prevention plans.

Also according to the leader of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the unit is the focal point for implementing well the regulations on investment, upgrading and renovation of reservoirs and drought prevention and control works; coordinating with relevant agencies and localities to soon develop a crop calendar, guide the conversion of crop structure, arrange variety structure and season suitable to irrigation water sources.

By 2030, Dak Nong aims to convert over 8,500 hectares with four key crops including coffee, pepper, rubber, and cashew nuts that are not suitable for the climate.

According to statistics from 2016-2023, people in the province have proactively converted crop structures on 1,109 hectares of rice fields and land far from water sources. Through evaluating the conversion results in Dak Nong province, most conversion models have higher economic efficiency than rice cultivation from 3 million VND to 12.6 million VND/ha.

The operation of hydroelectric reservoirs on the Krong No River has a huge impact on irrigation water resources in downstream areas.

Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, added that the province also applies the recalculation of crop structure in response to climate change and natural disasters to long-term crops and key crops.

According to the roadmap, from 2023 to 2030, Dak Nong aims to convert over 8,500 hectares of four key crops including coffee, pepper, rubber, and cashew nuts that are not adapted or poorly adapted to growing potential crops that are adapted to local conditions.

Water-saving irrigation is a measure that is being actively applied by people in the province.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to promote coordination with sectors and localities to promote the application of science and high technology in agricultural and forestry production practices.

Content and photos: Hong Thoan
Presented by: Phong Vu