Proposal to build 2 freshwater storage lakes in the West

The information was given by Dr. Vo Van Hai, Association of Economics and Management Science (Union of Science and Technology Associations of Ho Chi Minh City) at the conference on fresh water for the Mekong Delta held on the morning of June 30.

According to the plan suggested by the research team, the location for building the reservoir in Dong Thap is near Tram Chim National Park, Tam Nong district, with a construction area of ​​about 27,000 hectares and a capacity of 1.5 billion m3 of water.

According to the research team, the existing irrigation system in the area is favorable for regulating the flow in the dry season, supplying water to the provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, and Ben Tre through inter-provincial canals. With this plan, the cost of this reservoir is about 67,000 billion VND, including construction and site clearance. The total number of affected households is nearly 8,000 with nearly 32,000 people. According to Dr. Hai, with a low population density of 281 people per square kilometer, the cost of compensation for resettlement is not too high.

The second reservoir is located near Lung Ngoc Hoang nature reserve (Hau Giang) in three communes of Phuong Binh, Phuong Phu, Tan Phuoc in Phung Hiep district. The reservoir has a capacity of 1 billion m3 and is sparsely populated, so the compensation and clearance costs are not too high. The total estimated lake construction area is more than 17,000 hectares. The number of households expected to relocate is about 11,700 with nearly 47,000 people. Total investment for the project is about 68,000 billion VND.

According to the research team, the construction of the reservoir will help regulate water for the provinces of Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and parts of Kien Giang and Can Tho through the existing canal system.

Dr. Hai analyzed that the reservoirs were built near the nature reserves with the purpose of using these places to store water through the regional ecosystem. The two lakes also have the function of providing water and preventing forest fires during the dry season for the two reserves. “We do not exploit the forest to make freshwater lakes,” Dr. Hai said.

Associate Professor Dr. To Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Southern Institute of Irrigation Sciences, assessed that this is a passionate work of scientists, however, the reality of building water reservoirs in deltas like the Southwest is More complicated than building similar projects in mountainous areas. Specifically, it is the technique of building lakes on soft ground, water distribution methods, environmental protection issues…

Mr. Thanh said that transferring water to serve production in large-scale lakes requires a system of high-capacity pumping stations, building sewer systems across canals… When constructing these projects, it will affect traffic, economic development, and the environment in the area. The leader of the Southern Institute of Water Resources said that with a large construction area in the delta region, it will affect land clearance and people’s livelihoods after relocation, so careful calculation is needed.

Associate Professor Thanh said that from now until 2030, the agricultural sector will invest about 10,000 billion VND in freshwater solutions for the Southwest region. According to forecasts, the demand for freshwater for this region is about 18 – 22 billion m3, which can increase to 25 billion m3 per year. Meanwhile, the Mekong River’s water source is about 475 billion m3, basically there is no shortage of water. However, it is necessary to ensure solutions for managing, exploiting, and distributing water resources from one place to another in a reasonable manner.

Associate Professor Dr. Phung Chi Sy, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Water and Environment Association, said that the construction of water reservoirs near nature reserves needs to be careful. According to him, the Biodiversity Law and Forestry Law stipulate that nature reserves are strictly protected, and even the surrounding buffer zone limits human intervention. He said that building freshwater reservoirs is a solution to meet water needs for daily life and production, but many different aspects need to be considered to ensure harmony between people’s interests and not harm the environment.

At the workshop, many delegates proposed building small-scale reservoirs to reduce construction costs, site clearance and feasibility in water transportation.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations, acknowledged the authors’ ideas for finding the cause, impact and providing solutions to the freshwater problem for the Southwest. Set. Professor Phuoc asked the authors to accept critical opinions so that the solution has a more feasible basis for implementation.

From a professional perspective, Professor Phuoc said that building large or small-scale water reservoirs requires technical tools and flow model analysis to show where water is lacking as a basis for choosing construction technology. suitable program. Professor Phuoc proposed that authorities need to have policies to promote water resources management solutions at a national and international level.