Agriculture: Mekong Delta Hit by Most Severe Salinity, Drought.

(From Vietnam News Briefs)

The Mekong Delta region, Vietnam's largest rice growing area for exports, is facing the most severe drought and salinity for many decades, according to a recent survey conducted by the southern Vietnam Sub-Institute of Irrigation Research and Planning.

Salinity and drought have affected a total of 1,406,000 hectares of regional agro-forestry and aqua-cultural land, the survey said.

Seawater has encroached 75 kilometer deep into the Vam Co Dong River, 80 kilometer into the Vam Co Tay River and between 45 and 62 kilometers into the Tien and Hau, the two main rivers in the region.

Ben Tre province has been hardest …