Actively prevent and combat drought and saltwater intrusion

Faced with climate change and increasingly severe weather, relevant sectors of the province and localities are actively implementing measures to respond to drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, ensuring water sources for production and the needs of people and businesses in the province.

Ha Trung district mobilized forces to carry out irrigation work in the dry season, removing water hyacinth to clear the flow of Hoat River through Ha Tien commune. Photo: Le Hoi

According to the forecast of Thanh Hoa Hydrometeorological Station, from March to May 2025, the province will have rainfall at a level approximately above the average of many years (TBNN), commonly from 200 - 400mm. The average air temperature will be approximately to higher than the TBNN and commonly from 24 - 25 degrees Celsius. Early season heat waves may occur in late April and early May, approximately compared to the TBNN. Water levels on rivers fluctuate with a downward trend and are generally lower than the TBNN of the same period and there is a possibility of the smallest water level of the year at some stations. The monthly flow of the Ma River in Muong Lat and Cam Thuy districts, and the Chu River at Cua Dat is likely to be approximately to higher than the TBNN of the same period. Saltwater intrusion in coastal estuaries is approximately to higher than the TBNN. The largest saltwater intrusion events of the year are likely to occur between March and early May 2025.

According to the Thanh Hoa Irrigation Department, with the uneven distribution of water resources, the increasing demand for water in both quality and quantity, the amount of water stored from irrigation and hydroelectric works in the province has not met the design. In case of prolonged heat over a large area, lakes and dams do not store enough water compared to the design, the river water level drops, the agricultural production area in the province is at risk of water shortage, drought, and saltwater intrusion of about 13,300 - 17,200 hectares. Of which, the area likely to be affected by drought affecting crop productivity is from 7,800 - 8,400 hectares, mainly in the tail canal area of ​​the canal systems taking water from Cua Dat Lake, Song Muc Lake, Yen My Lake and the area south of Chu River, north of Ma River, downstream of Buoi River...

In 2025, the coastal area is likely to be affected by water shortage and saline intrusion with an area of ​​about 1,400 hectares, mainly in the districts, towns, coastal cities and Thanh Hoa city in the area of ​​South Chu River, North Ma River. This is the area where pumping stations take water from the downstream of Ma River, Len River, Hoat River, De Canal, Yen River... with about 54 pumping stations affected by salinity and pumping stations taking water back, creating sources from drainage canals, drainage axes (Hung Long Canal, Do River, Quang Chau River...), inland pumping stations. Every year, when the heat lasts for a long time, the water level of the rivers drops, the salinity of 1‰ in the estuary and coastal areas remains high and penetrates 18 - 24km inland. Pumping stations cannot get water and if they can get water, the time to get water is short, about 4 - 6 hours, making it difficult to supply water for production. Operating units must monitor the tide level and extend the pumping pipes to pump and store water.

According to the salinity measurement of the Irrigation Department at 6:00 a.m. on February 19, 2025, on the Ma River at Thanh Chau sluice (Hoang Hoa) was 19‰; the Len River at Lien Loc 2 pumping station (Hau Loc) was 1.5‰... According to the representative of Bac Song Ma One Member Co., Ltd., the company currently manages 31 irrigation pumping stations that take water directly from rivers affected by tides and saltwater intrusion. According to the company's monitoring, there are 3 pumping stations that are affected by salinity, the most affected time is from February 12 to February 19, 2025, with the affected time from 0.5 hours to 16 hours daily, concentrated at Lien Loc 2, Quang Loc, Phong Loc pumping stations of Hau Loc district.

According to Deputy Head of Thanh Hoa Irrigation Sub-Department Nguyen Thi Anh Nga, in response to the above situation, the sub-department has advised the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop and submit to the Provincial People's Committee a plan to prevent and combat drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion in the province in 2025. In particular, it requires relevant departments, branches, localities and units exploiting irrigation works to organize propaganda and guide people to protect water sources, water supply works and water-saving, scientific and effective irrigation methods, to prevent loss and waste of water resources. At the same time, mobilize people to actively participate in clearing and dredging canals, using water economically and reasonably, especially during the peak of the dry season. Localities and units closely monitor the hydrometeorological situation, regularly check, measure, grasp the water source situation, evaluate and balance the water supply capacity of each key project. Thereby, localities and units have plans to arrange suitable crop schedules and convert crop structures appropriately. Units exploiting irrigation works focus on maintaining and repairing works, machinery and equipment; maintaining field pumps to fight drought installed in previous years, have plans to install additional field pumps, take advantage of all water sources to proactively pump and pump the source to serve agricultural production and people's lives well.

Le Hoi

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tich-cuc-phong-chong-han-va-xam-nhap-man-240996.htm