China's water release has minimal impact on Vietnam downstream, official says

By VNA   September 11, 2024 | 05:04 pm PT
China's water release has minimal impact on Vietnam downstream, official says
A house is flooded in the northern Tuyen Quang Province on Sept. 11, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung
China began discharging water from its upstream hydropower dams into the Lo River as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, which a Vietnamese agriculture official said will not significantly affect downstream areas in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep noted that China had provided advance notice to Vietnam for appropriate preparatory measures. With a discharge rate of 250 cubic meters per second, the water release is unlikely to cause substantial flooding in the downstream regions of Vietnam, he added.

As the Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir in the northern province of Hoa Binh discharges at a rate of 1,800 cubic meters per second, the current discharge from China is comparatively minor, he said.

On Wednesdasy morning, the People's Committee of Ha Giang Province, which is among the localities that the Lo River flows through, issued a dispatch on proactive response to the potential impact of China's water release.

To minimize damage from potential flooding due to the increased water flow, the committee has instructed local authorities in the affected areas to closely follow flood discharge updates and implement disaster response plans.

Vietnam's northern region has been dealing with severe floods and landslides in the aftermath of typhoon Yagi that made landfall on Saturday.

 
 
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