Government supports 36 drought-hit localities

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to source VND492.5 billion (US$23.1 million) from the central standby budget in 2015 for 36 localities nationwide to deal with drought and salt intrusion consequences in the 2014-2015 spring-winter crop.

The Ministry of Finance is responsible for confirming the allocation of money for each locality, which will range between VND3.7 billion (US$174,000) and VND18.3 billion (US$847 million).

The Government leader asked the provincial People’s Committees to proactively use the local budgets and other legal capital sources along with the central support budget to cope with the consequences effectively.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance ought to increase inspection of utilising the central budget for right purposes and regulations.

According to the National Hydro-Meteorology Service, Vietnam is forecast to experience severe weather conditions in 2015, especially heat waves and droughts.

At a recent conference reviewing disaster prevention initiatives in 2014 and plans for 2015 held in Da Nang city, the agency said that Vietnam is likely to face more severe heat waves, droughts and storms, while rain and flooding will be less severe but more abnormal.

Drought, water scarcity and saltwater intrusion will increase in central and south central provinces and could last until September, it said.

In the early months of 2015, severe droughts occurred in many provinces, mostly in the southern central provinces.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)