HANOI - Thousands of people in Vietnam are suffering a “severe” shortage of fresh water because of drought and salinisation, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency on April 6.

A weeks-long heatwave has brought drought and saline intrusion to an area of Tien Giang province, 60km south of business hub Ho Chi Minh City.

The province’s Tan Phu Dong area – with 12km of coastline along the South China Sea, criss-crossed by waterways – has been particularly badly hit.

Salinisation – the intrusion of salt water from the sea – has severely affected crops and thousands of households among the 43,000 people living in the area, the state-controlled Vietnam News Agency said.

A state of emergency over the shortage of water for domestic use was announced on April 6 for the Tan Phu Dong district, it added.

Relevant agencies have been asked “to transport fresh water to ponds and reservoirs in the district to maintain fresh water supply to people there”, the report said.

During this dry season, prolonged drought and deeper saline intrusion in the upper Tien river have surrounded communities with salty water.

The Mekong Delta faces saltwater intrusion every year, but more intense hot weather and rising sea levels – both driven by climate change – are increasing the risk.

Research published in March said Vietnam’s Mekong delta, which provides food and livelihoods for tens of millions of people, faces nearly US$3 billion (S$4.05 billion) a year in crop losses as more saltwater seeps into arable land.

Around 80,000ha of rice and fruit farms could be impacted by salinisation, according to the study from the Water Resources Science Institute under the Environment Ministry.

In 2016, which saw the worst drought in 100 years, 160,000ha of soil was impacted by salinisation. AFP