On the banks of one of Vietnam’s major hydroelectric power stations, Dang Thi Phuong points out the cracked soil where fish lived before the drought, their source of income.
After a heat wave recorded in May (44.1°C) and an unprecedented drought, water levels in northern Vietnam have reached emergency levels, putting people who depend on water resources in severe economic hardship.
Scientists confirm that a warming climate is increasing extreme weather conditions, and Vietnam, like many countries in South and Southeast Asia, has experienced prolonged heat waves in recent weeks.
At the Thak Pa hydroelectric station in Yen Pai province, 160 km north of the capital Hanoi, the water in the reservoir reached its lowest level in 20 years, state media reported, 15-20 cm below the minimum required level. To operate the plant. The nearby Chai River is now a stream, with rocks and soil clearly visible.
A big concern
“Normally I can earn up to three million dong (115 euros) a month fishing in the lake, but now I have nothing,” said Fung, 42. Even their buffaloes suffered from this scarcity and they could not bathe in shallow water.
She also worries about her rice paddy and her family.
“We use water from a nearby well to irrigate the rice field,” Fung told AFP. But this year it dried up. “If this continues, I am afraid we will not have water for our daily use,” he asserted.
Drought has put pressure on power supplies in northern Vietnam, leading to sudden and frequent power outages, affecting the economy. The crisis is particularly hitting the industrial sector, which is vital to the country, whose factories are no longer functioning normally, officials said.
Scorching heat
In turn, Huang Fan Tian, a 60-year-old fisherman, says that if there are fish, the water is too hot to stay.
He added, “I have seen similar droughts in the past, but the heat was not severe.” He concluded, “Today, it is too hot to go to the lake (fishing). The weather is very sunny and I sit in the boat to protect myself, but the heat rises from the water and burns my skin.
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