Groundwater in the Central Highlands 'constantly decreasing'
May
The demand for groundwater exploitation in the Central Highlands has increased due to drought and heat, causing the water level to constantly lower, in some places suddenly dropping more than 2.3 m, according to experts.
The Central Highlands is experiencing a severe drought. VnExpress interviewed Mr. Trieu Duc Huy, Deputy Director of the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) about the current status and solutions to cope with drought in the coming time.
– How do you evaluate the decline in groundwater in the Central Highlands?
– During the current peak dry season, the amount of flow on rivers has decreased by 20-60% compared to the average of many years. Some lakes and streams have dried up, causing local drought. A similar situation also occurs with small and medium irrigation projects.
From November 2023 until now, nearly half of the groundwater level monitoring projects have a downward trend compared to the same period last year and the average of many years. This situation is concentrated in Krong Pak and Cu Kuin districts of Dak Lak province and Lam Ha district and Bao Loc city of Lam Dong province. In particular, the lowest sudden drop in water level was 2.31 m observed in Tan Van commune, Lam Ha district.
Mr. Trieu Duc Huy. Photo: DWRM
There are many reasons for lowering the groundwater level. Specifically, the impact of climate change has caused a clear decline in water resources in a short period of time. El Nino reduces rainfall and increases water evaporation. Forest area and vegetation cover are decreasing, and the area of bare land and bare hills is increasing.
Finally, the lack of surface water sources leads to increased demand for groundwater exploitation to serve irrigation of coffee, pepper, crops and daily life, causing the underground water level to continuously lower.
– What are the unique characteristics of drought and heat in the Central Highlands compared to other regions?
– Firstly, the climate in this region is seasonal tropical, but the terrain with an average altitude of 500-600 m above sea level so the weather is often colder than in the plains. Summer is usually dry and hot, especially in March-May.
Land in the Central Highlands also has unique characteristics that affect water sources. Soil often has high clay content, making the rate of rainwater infiltration into aquifers slower than in plains and coastal areas - where there are coarse-grained soil layers.
The Central Highlands is the watershed of the region, the source of most large river systems, flowing downstream in the surrounding areas on all sides. Therefore, the water retention time in the area's surface water sources is shorter than that in the downstream area.
Drought-resistant crops in the Central Highlands often face high stress from heat and dehydration. Crops such as coffee, cashew, pepper and barley can be seriously affected because they need a lot of water and do not tolerate drought well.
In summary, during the drought and heat wave in the Central Highlands, the specific climate, soil, water resources and crops of this area all contributed to creating a difficult situation, requiring appropriate response measures. Collaboration from the community and Government agencies.
The bed of Dak Ken lake in Dak Nong province is bare, people are struggling to find water sources for irrigation. Photo: Lap Phuong
– Forecast in the coming time, what will the drought situation be like?
– The drought and water shortage situation is severe. The drought continues to last until the first half of May. It is forecast that the total amount of water in the Sre Pok and Se San river basins in the Central Highlands will tend to decrease sharply, concentrated in the provinces of Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Dak Nong and Kon Tum.
Especially in the above sub-basins of the Se San river basin, the total amount of water tends to decrease by more than 46% compared to the average total amount of many years.
Heat and drought can damage crops by reducing their ability to absorb water and reducing yields. This is especially worrying for coffee and cashew, two crops that need a lot of water to grow.
Droughts can reduce water resources needed for irrigation and crop growth, placing great pressure on water supplies for farmers and agribusinesses. These effects can cause significant economic losses to growers and reduce their income, as well as putting at risk the food supply and livelihoods of local communities.
People in Chu Se district, Gia Lai province dig wells to get drinking water, mid-April 2024. Photo: Tran Hoa
– What solutions has the Central Highlands implemented to cope with drought?
– There have been many major projects implemented such as building backup water supply systems for reservoirs and deep drilled wells to supply water to drought areas. Provinces such as Dak Lak and Gia Lai have invested in building large water reservoirs such as Ea H'leo in Dak Lak and Hoa Binh in Gia Lai.
Farmers in Dak Nong and Kon Tum have been trained and supported to deploy drip irrigation systems and irrigate using recycled water. This helps reduce water consumption in agricultural production and increase water use efficiency.
Provinces in the Central Highlands region have organized seminars, training and propaganda campaigns to raise awareness about drought and guide communities to use water resources more effectively.
In addition, the search, exploration and investigation of underground water resources have also been promoted. Groundwater resources are somewhat enhanced by artificial recharge solutions; Increase water storage in underground aquifers in areas with suitable practical conditions.
– In the long term, what needs to be done to cope with drought in the Central Highlands?
– The Center is implementing many projects to respond to the risk of desertification in the Central Highlands and other regions nationwide. These include projects under the investigation program, searching for underground water sources to provide domestic water for high mountainous areas with water scarcity; Projects for investigation, assessment, zoning and restriction of groundwater exploitation; Groundwater protection project in large urban areas...
In the long term, I think it is necessary to invest in building a system of anti-erosion structures such as dikes and water tanks to retain and prevent land loss due to floods. Along with that, implement sustainable water resources management programs, including more efficient use of water in agricultural production and daily life, as well as protecting and regenerating groundwater resources.
Next is to promote the preparation, review and supplementation of water resources planning according to river basins; Develop water resource scenarios for river basins, serving management and decision-making on water resources. In particular, special attention should be paid to ensuring the principle of compatibility between the annual water source scenario and water exploitation and use plans in localities with the water source scenario.
In addition, it is necessary to promote tree planting projects to protect land and prevent desertification; Strengthen education and consultation programs to raise public awareness of the risks of desertification, and provide guidance on how to respond and protect the environment.
These projects all require cooperation between Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, local communities and environmental experts to ensure effectiveness and sustainability in responding to the risk of desertification in the Central Highlands. .
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