Adjust water level in toilet

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to 20 million people and a major rice producer, will see a 30-45 percent decrease in water flow between now and February 2020, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting. The center said on Tuesday that drought and saltwater intrusion from the sea in the region in the next few months could be as devastating as in 2016, the delta's worst drought since data was first available in 1926. It had caused losses worth VND8.9 trillion ($400 million). The prolonged drought, caused by El Nino, saw more than 400,000 families suffer from lack of water and destroyed 250,000 hectares of rice, 130,000 hectares of cash crops and 30,000 hectares of fruits. The center's data shows that between June and October this year rainfall in the upper Mekong region was 35-40 percent less than normal. As a result the water level in the upper part of the Mekong is now about 0.4-0.7 meters lower than normal. To cope with the situation, the Ministry of … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta set to grapple with devastating water shortage

  Speakers at the Building Resilience Drought Southeast Asia dialogue held yesterday in Cần Thơ. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp Bồ Xuân Hiệp CẦN THƠ — ASEAN-member countries have vowed to take immediate action to resolve problems caused by worsening drought in Southeast Asia, especially in Việt Nam’s Mekong Delta region, which is especially susceptible to global warming. Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday in Cần Thơ, Intani Nur Kusuma, senior officer at the Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, said that a declaration on drought would be adopted by leaders at the ASEAN Summit to be held in Việt Nam in November next year.  ASEAN has worked closely with relevant sectors to help the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management draft the declaration, she said, adding that drought-related activities need to be integrated into the future action plan of … [Read more...] about ASEAN to take immediate steps to combat drought in SE Asia

Developers are moving towards sustainable development by promoting green apartment buildings but there are issues to surmount. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) awarded EDGE certification to the HausNeo Apartments project developed by the EZ Land Vietnam Development JSC in August, as it met the required excellence in design for green buildings. According to Mr. Do Ngoc Dung Oliver, CEO of EZ Land, there are signs that awareness of the value of going green is increasing in Vietnam. “People are attracted by the savings they can achieve through lower utility bills and by the unique green features of EDGE-certified buildings,” he said. “This EDGE certification will further help raise people’s awareness and show the sustainability values of EZ Land through our first apartment project, HausNeo.”  Many other developers have also joined the sustainable development movement by promoting green apartment buildings. Mr. Dang Thanh Long, Managing … [Read more...] about Initial costs in green apartments offset later

Escape the hustle and bustle of city life in tranquil Hoi An (14-09-2007) by Vuong Bach Lien Paddling along: Visitors can enjoy river cruises offering breathtaking views of daybreak over the gleaming rice fields surrounding the resort. — Photos courtesy of Hoi An Riverside Resort Garden variety: The resort offers visitors spectacular views of beautiful gardens with pretty rooms decorated in Vietnamese, Japanese and French styles. Recently, I found myself in Quang Nam Province, relaxing in a comfortable chair while enjoying dinner with friends. We were surrounded by an array of floral lanterns, and torches cast stark shadows across the Do River. It was a cool night and a breeze rustled across the water which was aglow with floating lanterns and scattered with flower garlands. With the sky visible and the night not overwrought with the honking of horns and the smell of engine smog, we found ourselves wonderfully relaxed. We had managed to escape the throngs of city … [Read more...] about Escape the hustle and bustle of city life in tranquil Hoi An

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (L) and  President of the Senate of the Netherlands Ankie Broekers-Knol  (Photo: VNA) The Hague (VNA) - Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has expected that her ongoing official visit to the Netherlands will further deepen the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the European country in general and the Dutch parliament in particular. During her talks with President of the Senate of the Netherlands Ankie Broekers-Knol in The Hague on March 27, Chairwoman Ngan expressed her hope that the visit will open up new cooperation prospects in bilateral relations as well as cooperative ties between Vietnam, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU), especially when Vietnam and the Netherlands are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.   [Vietnam’s top legislator holds talks with speaker of Dutch lower house] … [Read more...] about NA leader expects stronger Vietnam-Netherlands relations