Preserve water and forests during the dry season.

According to Le Huu Toan (pictured), Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province is focusing on responding to drought and salinity intrusion and preventing forest fires, ensuring that the risk of drought causing water shortages for daily life and affecting people's livelihoods and production is not allowed to occur.

- Mr. Le Huu Toan: According to forecasts from specialized agencies, the water situation in the province will be relatively favorable during the 2025-2026 dry season. The water flow from the upper Mekong River to the headwaters of the Mekong Delta will be higher than the multi-year average, and there will be some unseasonal rains. However, due to the increasing water demand upstream, the total flow tends to decrease, and there is still a possibility of drought and localized water shortages in some areas, especially during the peak period from February to April.

Regarding saltwater intrusion, the peak salinity is predicted to occur from the second half of March to the end of April, at a level lower than the multi-year average. However, it is still necessary to be wary of northeast monsoon winds causing storm surges, leading to sudden increases in salinity and deeper intrusion into inland areas. From May onwards, the saltwater intrusion situation tends to decrease rapidly.

- Reporter: Given the complex developments of climate change, what solutions has the province implemented to prevent and combat drought, salinity intrusion, and water shortages during the dry season?

- Mr. Le Huu Toan: Faced with these risks, the province has proactively implemented a comprehensive set of solutions, both structural and non-structural, to ensure water resources for production and daily life of the people. First, the province issued a plan to respond to drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion right from the beginning of the dry season. The plan was quite detailed, clearly defining the tasks of each locality and sector to proactively implement preventive and control measures. In addition, the province has strengthened the flexible operation of the irrigation system, especially the system of sluices, dikes, and pumping stations to control salinity, maintain freshwater, and regulate water resources to suit each production period.

Monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems regarding water resources and saltwater intrusion have also been strengthened, helping localities and people to promptly grasp information and adjust production plans. The agricultural sector also guides people to change crop structures and seasons to suit water resource conditions; encourages water storage, and promotes efficient and economical water use. Thanks to the coordinated implementation, to date, the province has not recorded any damage to agricultural production caused by drought or saltwater intrusion.

In the long term, the agricultural sector will advise the Provincial People's Committee to develop a plan to respond to drought and saltwater intrusion for the period 2026-2030. The plan will focus on assessing water resource scenarios in the context of climate change, identifying high-risk areas to prioritize investment in irrigation infrastructure, improving water storage and regulation capacity, and promoting the transformation of production to adapt to climate change.

- Reporter: The dry season is also the time when the risk of forest fires increases. What measures is the province implementing to protect the forests?

- Mr. Le Huu Toan: An Giang has a natural area of ​​approximately 988,891 hectares, of which forest and forestry land covers more than 99,470 hectares, with a forest cover rate of about 8.8%. According to forecasts, the weather in 2026 may continue to be erratic, with prolonged heatwaves increasing the risk of widespread forest fires. In addition, deforestation, encroachment on forestry land, or misuse of forest land still pose a potential threat in some localities.

To proactively prevent and fight forest fires during the dry season, the Department of Agriculture and Environment advised the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee for Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue to issue numerous directives and implement key tasks regarding forest management, protection, and fire prevention and fighting. These included focusing on inspecting forest management and protection at forest management units; guiding the development and implementation of forest fire prevention and fighting plans; and identifying high-risk areas to deploy appropriate forces and resources.

The forestry sector is strengthening inspections of forest fire safety; proactively forecasting and warning of forest fire risks and organizing 24/7 duty when forest fire forecasts reach level III or higher. Alongside this, efforts to raise public awareness about forest fire prevention and control are being intensified. Local authorities are increasing inspections and providing guidance to people on the use of fire in and near forests, especially for slash-and-burn farming or clearing vegetation that poses a fire risk.

Forest management units are reviewing areas at high risk of fire, proactively implementing measures to reduce flammable materials, dredging canals and reservoirs to facilitate firefighting, and deploying personnel on standby during the dry season. In addition, the province is strengthening coordination with the police and relevant agencies in inspecting and strictly handling violations related to forest management and protection. Simultaneously, they are preparing adequate means and equipment to respond promptly when forest fires occur, minimizing damage.

- Reporter: Thank you!

TAY HO - TU QUYEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giu-nuoc-giu-rung-mua-kho-a481292.html