Vietnam Gov't Supports Eight Drought-Hit Localities

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to allocate funds to eight localities and three irrigation companies to tackle the drought and saltwater intrusion that occurred during the 2014-15 spring-winter crops. The prime minister has allocated VND150.6 billion ($7.2 million) from the budget reserves for the purpose. The beneficiary provinces are Son La in the north, the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Ngai, Dak Nong in the Central Highlands, and the southern provinces of Hau Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. According to predictions made by the National Hydro-Meteorology Service, Vietnam will experience extreme weather conditions in 2015, especially heat waves and droughts. (Vietnam News July 3)