With a dry season lasting for 9 months and the lowest annual average rainfall in Vietnam, Ninh Thuận is considered the driest region in the country.
Ninh Thuận is located in the South Central Coast region; it borders Khánh Hòa to the north, Bình Thuận to the south, Lâm Đồng to the west, and the East Sea to the east.
The average annual temperature in Ninh Thuận ranges from 26-27°C, with humidity levels between 75-77%. The weather in Ninh Thuận features two distinct seasons: the rainy season from September to November and the dry season from December to August of the following year. The average rainfall is 700-800 mm, increasing to over 1,100 mm in mountainous areas.
Water sources in Ninh Thuận are unevenly distributed, primarily concentrated in the northern and central areas of the province. Groundwater is only one-third of the national average.
With no irrigation for crops, many livestock such as sheep and cattle are dying of hunger and thirst, and the local residents are facing a devastating harvest.
The sheep are “thirsty” and starving due to the dry fields, suffering under the harsh drought of Central Vietnam.
“Recently, due to the drought and lack of water, the sheep have no water to drink and no grass to eat, many are dying,” said Mr. Trần Công Còn, lamenting the situation.
According to the residents of Ninh Thuận, the drought has caused water lakes to dry up, leaving no grass to eat, and newborn lambs are dying early.
According to the leadership of the Ninh Thuận Irrigation Works Company, as of April 22, the total capacity of 23 water reservoirs in the province is currently 168.72 million out of 417.70 million m³, accounting for over 40% of the designed capacity. Some reservoirs are already depleted, such as Ông Kinh Lake, CK7 Lake, and others are at risk of drying up, including Phước Nhơn Lake, Suối Lớn, Bầu Ngứ, Tà Ranh, Bầu Zôn…
Forecasts indicate that if the drought continues, many reservoirs will run out of irrigation water, and a significant area of agricultural land in the province will have to stop production, leading to the risk of food shortages in many localities. “In the past few days, 8 to 9 cattle have died already due to lack of food and water; at this rate, they will all perish,” one local resident reported.
The Ninh Thuận Provincial People’s Committee stated that if the drought persists, the combination of low rainfall and high temperatures will lead to severe shortages of rural drinking water. Currently, some spring water sources have decreased, such as at Suối Lạnh, Ô Căm, Lồ Ồ, Kiền Kiền, A Nhân, Ma Nhông, Tập Lá…
According to the drought response plan for 2024, if the worst-case scenario occurs in May with no rainfall, Ninh Thuận will have to halt the production of nearly 7,600 hectares, including nearly 4,900 hectares of crops and 2,692 hectares of rice, focusing on communes in Bác Ái, Thuận Nam, and Ninh Phước districts.
Now, the exhausted sheep in the Ninh Thuận drought must graze on the scorched grass remaining in the fields and the cracked lakebeds.
The residents hope not only for rain to end the drought but also for timely local measures to channel water to this long-standing drought-stricken area.
In this barren landscape, apart from the continuous sound of pumping machines, only the dry calls of wild birds remain, signaling an extended dry season that challenges both humans and animals here.
As of April 22, 2024, the total capacity of 23 water reservoirs in Ninh Thuận province is 168.72 million out of 417.70 million m³, accounting for over 40% of the designed capacity. Forecasts indicate that if the drought continues, many reservoirs will run out of irrigation water, and a significant area of agricultural land in the province will have to stop production, leading to food shortages in many localities. Particularly, the issue of drinking water for residents will be in short supply, with approximately 1,484 households/5,836 people in some localities of the districts needing water transport. In light of this situation, Ninh Thuận province is focusing on implementing coordinated urgent and long-term solutions to respond, actively mobilizing all resources to ensure residents do not lack drinking water, to prevent hunger and disease outbreaks, and to decisively shift to water-saving crops, protect livestock, and avoid significant losses. |
