Da Nang and the neighbouring province of Quang Nam Province has reached an agreement on the construction of water dams at the estuaries of the Quang Hue and Vinh Dien rivers.

It is an urgent need to build a dam as soon as possible at the mouth of the Quang Hue River in order to ensure the majority of the water flow will be released into the Vu Gia River.

The intention is to ensure the majority of the water will be released into the Vu Gia River whose tributary flows into the city-located Cau Do River, instead of flowing into the Thu Bon River, hereby ensuring the sufficient water supply for the daily lives of local citizens, and their agricultural and industrial production activities in the two localities.

The agreement was reached at Thursday’s meeting on the integrated management of the Vu Gia-Thu Bon river basin and the Quang Nam-Da Nang coastline.

The soon-to-be-dams will feature a hydraulic or electric valve gate system.

Mr Hoang Thanh Hoa, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, as of 3 January, the amount of water at the reservoirs of the A Vuong Song Bung Hydropower Plant in the upstream of the Vu Gia- Thu Bon rivers in Quang Nam Province had been only 18.7% and 34.2% respectively.

As a result, Da Nang might face salinity intrusion and severe water scarcity in this year’s dry season.

Therefore, it is an urgent need to start the construction of the 2 dams as soon as possible ensure sufficient water supplies for downstream areas of the 2 localities.

As per request of the 2 localities, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have already adjusted the regulations regarding the water discharge during the dry season by the A Vuong, Song Bung 4 and Dak Mi 4 reservoirs in the form of phase difference to increase the stability of the Vu Gia flow.

Besides, the operation of the hydropower reservoirs in the annual flood and dry seasons has been taken into consideration.

The 2 localities will make joint efforts to ensure that the 2 dams will be built in the 2019 – 2020 period.

Also, quality monitoring stations of water sources will be set up on the Ai Nghia and Vinh Dien rivers.