Posted on October 19, 2026
In order to restore water storage capacity, ensure the safety of structures, and improve the efficiency of water supply for production and people’s lives, the Provincial People’s Committee has considered and planned to dredge reservoirs and irrigation dams in the province during the period 2026 – 2030 and review, dredge, and improve downstream flood drainage routes.
Urgent solutions for irrigation projects.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province currently has many reservoirs and irrigation dams that have been built and put into operation for decades. Some structures have experienced sedimentation in the reservoir beds, upstream areas of the dams, water intakes, and related areas. This has reduced the capacity for water storage, regulation, and supply, and affected the management and operation of the structures.
For example, Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited is managing and operating 39 reservoirs in the eastern Lam Dong area, many of which were built a long time ago. The Song Quao reservoir (Ham Thuan Bac commune), for instance, was invested in and put into operation in 1996 and upgraded in 2020, with a catchment area of 296 km² and a total storage capacity of 81.27 million m³ .
Furthermore, some downstream areas of the reservoir have limited flood discharge routes and small flow cross-sections. In addition, they are affected by residential construction, transportation infrastructure, and urbanization, which reduces their flood drainage capacity. Therefore, determining the safe flood discharge rate for the structure and downstream areas requires considering the overall flood discharge route of the downstream reservoir area…
According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, Deputy General Director of Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, one of the unit’s proposals and recommendations is to consider and direct comprehensive, inter-sectoral issues such as improving the downstream flood drainage route. At the same time, it is necessary to harmonize the requirements for flood control and reduction with the water supply task as originally designed for the project.
According to Tran Thi My Le, Chairwoman of the Ham Thuan Bac Commune People’s Committee, the commune’s People’s Committee has requested additional funding from higher authorities to dredge natural rivers and streams that have been silted up after natural disasters in the area. The aim is to address landslides and clear waterways after major floods, and the provincial People’s Committee and relevant departments are currently implementing the necessary steps.
Dredging and improving the downstream flood drainage channel.
Looking back at the statistics from the Provincial Civil Defense Command regarding the floods from September 20, 2026 to the present, the entire province has seen over 9,100 hectares of various crops flooded, and thousands of houses in 21 localities damaged by flooding, landslides, and other natural disasters. For example, in Ham Thuan Bac commune, the heavy rains at the end of September alone affected over 200 households and 280 hectares of crops, with estimated damages of approximately 2.5 billion VND.
This reality shows that proper review and dredging at reservoirs and flood drainage systems is truly necessary. During a field inspection along the Cai River (Ham Thuan Bac district) at the end of September 2026, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Phuc requested the locality to soon develop a plan to dredge and clear natural rivers and streams that have been silted up after natural disasters in the area. Specifically, the reservoir management unit should closely coordinate with downstream localities to inform residents and clear trees along the flood drainage area to reduce downstream flooding…
In a recent submission to the Provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Agriculture and Environment proposed the issuance of a plan for dredging reservoirs and irrigation dams in the province for the period 2026-2030. The plan aims to review and gradually address the issue of sedimentation, and to restore the reservoir capacity in a reasonable manner. Based on proposals from management units, the province plans to dredge 120 irrigation works during the 2026-2030 period, with an estimated total sediment volume of approximately 33,997,360 m³.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Phuc has issued a document assigning the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in accordance with its functions, duties, and authority, to issue a plan for dredging reservoirs and irrigation dams in the province for the period 2026-2030. Simultaneously, it is to guide, supervise, inspect, review, update, and adjust the list and implementation schedule to suit the actual situation and legal regulations.
