Salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta during the 2023 dry season.

This was the forecast of the Southern Region Hydrometeorological Station regarding saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta at the conference "Assessment of rainfall and flood situation in the second half of 2023 - El Niño, water resources, drought and salinity during the 2023-2024 dry season in the Southern region".

The conference took place in Ben Tre on the afternoon of September 22nd, organized by the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology in coordination with the People's Committee of Ben Tre province, with representatives from 19 disaster prevention and control committees of 19 southern provinces and cities in attendance.

Because it is located downstream, Ben Tre province is always the most severely affected when saltwater intrusion occurs in the Mekong Delta region.

At the conference, the Southern Vietnam Regional Hydrometeorological Station predicted that from now until early October 2023, a small flood is likely to occur in the lower Mekong River basin. From the end of October 2023 to March 2024, the Mekong River water level will gradually decrease. The total flow during the 2023-2024 dry season from the upper Mekong River to the lower Mekong and the Mekong Delta will be 20-25% lower than the multi-year average. Meanwhile, the saline intrusion situation in the Mekong Delta depends on the water flow from the upper reaches.

Therefore, during this year's dry season, saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta will continue to be deeper and more severe. At certain times, some river branches will experience saltwater intrusion equivalent to the historic drought and saltwater intrusion of the 2015-2016 dry season.

The conference was attended by representatives from 19 provinces and cities in the southern region.

Specifically, in the Vam Co River basin ( Long An province ), the highest salinity levels occurred in April 2024, with salinity levels of 4 g/l penetrating up to 120 km inland from the river mouth. In the Tien River estuary, in March 2024, salinity levels of 4 g/l will penetrate up to 75 km inland. In the Hau River estuary, the salinity boundary of 3-5 g/l will penetrate approximately 60 km inland from the river mouth in March 2024.

In the southeastern region of Vietnam, the El Nino phenomenon will last until early 2024. This year, the heat in the South has sometimes exceeded 39 degrees Celsius, a temperature unprecedented in the region in previous years.

Mr. Le Hong Phong, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, stated that saltwater intrusion has caused approximately 1,800 billion VND in damage to Ben Tre province in recent years. During the 2019-2020 dry season, saltwater intrusion penetrated deeper into the inland areas compared to 2015-2016, but the damage was less severe. This demonstrates the effectiveness of local measures to prevent and mitigate saltwater intrusion.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/xam-nhap-man-tai-dbscl-vao-mua-kho-2023-2024-se-rat-gay-gat-185230922151609724.htm