The Mekong River Commission (MRC) reports that the floods have reached Thailand and Laos now, and should reach Cambodia in the next few days en route to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The MRC said in a statement Thursday that "heavy rainfall, brought by the tropical cyclone Podul during August 31 to September 3, over the middle part of the lower Mekong basin from Mukdahan Province of Thailand to Pakse City of Laos has caused a sudden water increase in the Mekong River." "Most rivers and other water bodies in the areas are now flooded," said Sothea Khem, River Flood Forecasting Specialist with the MRC Secretariat. In Vietnam, two monitoring stations, Tan Chau and Chau Doc in An Giang Province in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, will see some increase in water levels of between 0.2 meters and 0.4 meters over the next four days. This will be about one meter below the first danger level. "During this flooding season, we will monitor the Mekong River’s water levels closely on a daily … [Read more...] about Mekong River flooding expected next week
Where is mekong river delta
From Tibet to the ‘Nine Dragons’, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is losing sand
In the dead of night, the entire front half of shopkeeper Ta Thi Kim Anh’s house collapsed. Perched on the sandy banks of the Mekong River, it took just a few minutes for one half of everything she owned to plunge into its murky depths. "Our kitchen, our laundry room, our two bedrooms, all gone," said Kim Anh, speaking amongst the twisted metal and rubble of her house, from which she still sells eggs, soap and instant noodles to villagers in Ben Tre, a province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region. "We’d be better off living in a cave instead," said Kim Anh, who has used coconut husks and old tires to reinforce the riverbank under her home. Upstream damming and extensive mining of the Mekong’s riverbed for sand is causing the land between the sprawling network of rivers and channels near the mouth of one of the world’s great rivers to sink at a pace of around 2 cm (0.75 inches) a year, experts and officials said. The 4,350 km (2,700-mile) river, known as the … [Read more...] about From Tibet to the ‘Nine Dragons’, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is losing sand
Floating markets – a typical cultural feature of the Mekong region
Cai Rang Floating Market is one of the stunning attractions in the Mekong River Delta. Located on the Cai Rang river, 6 km from Can Tho city, the Cai Rang floating market is one of the most popular sites in Can Tho. Visitors need only 30 minutes to go from the Ninh Kieu port to Cai Rang by boat. One of the three most popular floating markets in the Mekong Delta, Cai Rang is always crowded with buyers and sellers aboard hundreds of junks and motor boats mingling on the water since early dawn. Normally, gloating markets are open from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m. but in the weeks before the Tet holiday, the markets are open all day. At the Cai Rang market, tourists photograph the many boats full of fruit and other produce, sample the great variety of food specialties of the Mekong region, and visit one or two of the floating cafes and pubs. The vendors hang their products on a pole so customers can see them from a distance. The Rough Guide calls the Cai Rang Floating Market one of the ten most … [Read more...] about Floating markets – a typical cultural feature of the Mekong region
Netherlands helps to improve water supply capacity in Mekong Delta
Illustrative photo (Source: baoquocte.vn) Can Tho (VNA) – Representatives of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and the Netherlands’ Vitens Evides International (VEI) company held a discussion on the WaterWorX project, which aims to orient the water supply to be adaptable to the effects of climate change in the southwest of Mekong River Delta, funded by the company and the Dutch Government. Folker de Jager, VEI Manager for Asia, said that the firm has worked with various water companies in Vietnam since 2009 and defined water as one of the country’s most important sectors. The WaterWorX will be implemented from 2019-2030, through three phases. In the first phase, from 2019-2021, the project will receive an investment of 2.5 million EUR, 90 percent of which is sourced by the Dutch Government and VEI. In the first phase, the project will cover three localities of Can Tho, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang. Folker de Jager said that its objectives include assisting water … [Read more...] about Netherlands helps to improve water supply capacity in Mekong Delta
Floods damage 2,000ha of rice in Mekong Delta
About 150ha of rice in Hamlet 2, Thạnh Lợi Commune, in Đồng Tháp Province’s Tháp Mười District were inundated after the Mekong Delta’s annual flooding broke embankments last month. – VNA/VNS Photo Chương Đài Viet Nam News HCM CITY — The annual flooding in the Mekong Delta has damaged more than 2,000ha of rice this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Directorate of Water Resources. More than 1,270ha of the crop in An Giang Province, 316ha in Kiên Giang and 182ha in Đồng Tháp were totally destroyed while 265ha in Đồng Tháp and 24ha in Long An were damaged. Most of the destroyed and damaged fields are in areas without embankments while the rest were damaged because their embankments were broken or too low. High tides too have been affecting agricultural production in the region, especially in Bến Tre … [Read more...] about Floods damage 2,000ha of rice in Mekong Delta