Thursday April 25, 2024
VN Express —
Construction of the Funan Techo Canal from the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand will cause water shortages and increase salinization in Vietnam’s already parched Mekong Delta, experts said.
The delta is already suffering legions of dead crops and families without water due to droughts, hot weather, severe erosion of useable farmland, drying out of seafood resources and a series of unplanned events channeling water away from what is known as Vietnam’s fruit, rice and vegetable basket.
It is Vietnam’s most important agricultural region, on par with similar growing and cultivation areas in its neighboring countries.
As Vietnam and its importers rely on the delta for sustenance, the situation is already dire. And it looks like a canal upstream will make matters worse, according to scientists.