President Truong Tan Sang talks with dragonfruit growers in Tien Giang Province's Cho Gao District about the impacts of the sea level on their activities. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang
HA NOI (VNS0— President Truong Tan Sang is currently paying a working visit to the Mekong Delta, inspecting efforts being made to cope with rising sea levels.
Sang visited the Go Cong sea dyke in Tien Giang province yesterday. The 21km sea dyke plays an important role in protecting the 54,400ha Go Cong fresh water zone that houses a 40,000ha production area on which thousands of locals earn their living.
The Go Cong protective forest is widely-considered an effective shield to protect the 21km dyke from saline water intrusion.
However, roughly 3km of the section from Vam Lang to Tan Thanh have been damaged by salinity.
The President asked relevant agencies to speed up projects to prevent salt-water intrusion and reinforce the sea dyke and irrigation systems to serve production and the local population.
He also toured the 28.6km Cho Gao canal which connects Tien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City and other Mekong Delta provinces.
On Saturday, the President visited the Ba Tri sea dyke in Ben Tre province which is forecast to be one of the localities hardest hit by climate change.
According to climate change predictions, 272sq.km of agricultural land or 12.24 percent of Ben Tre’s total area will be submerged if sea water rises 12cm.
The 31km sea dyke was built with an investment of VND222 billion (US$10.65 million), of which VND146 billion was a World Bank loan ($7.8 million), VND58 billion ($2.78 million) came from the State budget and the remainder from the local budget.
The President also toured the Ba Lai dam and sewage system, which are being built to prevent salt-water intrusion in northern Ben Tre.
Sang urged the province to focus on coping with climate change and increasing the efficiency of investment sources.
The President also said it was imperative to improve the existing sea dykes and irrigation systems to boost agricultural development.
He called on the province to take better care of social beneficiaries and continue to reduce poverty and restructure the local economy. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News
