Monday August 3, 2026
Vietnam —
This year, the Mekong Delta is predicted to face a flood shortage as El Nino intensifies, reducing rainfall, and upstream hydropower dams are accumulating water. According to an updated report on the Mekong River flood season from the Southern Water Resources Planning Institute (SIWRP), the total flood volume from June 1st to July 30th at the Kratie station (Cambodia) reached approximately 56 billion cubic meters, a deficit of 15.21 billion cubic meters compared to the multi-year average for the same period, equivalent to about 21%, and about 50% less than the same period in 2025.
Over the past week, water levels in Kratie have been trending downwards. By July 30th, the measured water level was 14.87m, 1.63m lower than the multi-year average for the same period.
According to forecasts from the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the water level at 7:00 AM at the Kratie station is expected to rise in the coming days at an average rate of 35.4 cm/day. It is predicted to reach 16.64 m by August 4th, significantly lower than the flood warning level of 22 m.
In the upstream areas of the Mekong River, water levels last week showed an upward trend but remained significantly lower than the multi-year average. Specifically, the water level at Tan Chau station on July 29th reached 1.56m; much lower than the multi-year average for the same period (2m). The highest water level at Chau Doc reached 1.68m; much lower than the multi-year average for the same period (1.95m).