Heavy rain damages rice crops in southern Vietnam
Mekong Delta provinces, which just recovered from a historic drought a year ago, is bracing for more unfavorable weather.
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Nguyen Van Cung from Can Tho City said that his family is trying to dig ditches to save nearly 1,000 hectares (247 acres) of rice submerged under water.
“We can’t harvest now because the crops are not ready," he said.
Latest statistics showed that more than 7,000 hectares of rice in the two Mekong Delta provinces of Ca Mau anh Hau Giang have been ravaged by rain. Many shrimp farms are also threatened by flooding.
Experts said the heavy rains were caused by the weather phenomenon La Nina, which came after the devastating El Nino last year.
They said the Mekong Delta should expect to see more unusual weather patterns, with more rain likely coming until the end of February.
Last year, a historic drought and saltwater intrusion damaged more than 400,000 hectares of crops and resulted in severe water shortages for 1.5 million people.
The region, Vietnam's main rice and fruit grower, is among those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, various studies have suggested.
