He urged the localities to examine water reservoirs and build plans for water usage, prioritising local daily activities, animals, and highly-economic crops.

He said it was important to define areas that are prone to water deficiency and prepare appropriate plans for growing drought-resistant crops, while speeding up the construction of irrigation facilities.

The Deputy PM asked ministries and sectors to save water at reservoirs to provide sufficient water for drought-hit areas during the dry season, stressing the need for supplementary policies to support people in affected regions.

Ninh Thuan Province and the surrounding region, particularly the Central South and the Central Highlands, have been going through a massive drought since last year as the El Nino phenomenon reached one of its highest peaks in decades.

Binh Thuan Province – the locality most affected by the extreme weather lost more than 15,000ha of rice paddy fields, or approximately 40 per cent of the province’s total amount, due to water shortages. Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces suffered losses of about 10,000 and 5,000ha respectively in the prolonged drought.

The same day, the Deputy PM made a fact-finding tour of the Song Sat water reservoir and inspected Tan My dam. He also visited locals in dry areas of Khanh Tan Hamlet, Nhon Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District.