US embassy cable - 05HANOI1378

UNCLAS  HANOI 001378 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/ASIA/OPB/VLC/HPPHO 
STATE FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA KISAACS, GGOTTLIEB 
STATE FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
STATE FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA DAA WILLIAM GARVELINK 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
GENEVA FOR USAID NANCY KYLOH 
USDA FOR FAS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SENV, KSCA, TBIO, VM 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM - DROUGHT DISASTER DECLARATION 
 
THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE 
 
REF: HANOI 857 
 
1. Summary. In response to what is being characterized by 
GVN officials as the worst drought to afflict Vietnam in 30 
years, Ambassador Marine declares a disaster and requests 
USD 200,000 in OFDA assistance. Emergency activities to be 
supported by this assistance would focus on improved access 
to drinking water through drought proofing and water 
harvesting initiatives (see paragraphs 18-20 for 
recommendations). End summary. 
 
ACTION REQUEST/DISASTER DECLARATION 
 
2. Following the assessment mission of USAID personnel to 
the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam, I am declaring 
a drought disaster in Vietnam under my authority as Chief of 
Mission. The assessment mission has confirmed that a drought 
disaster exists and that Government of Vietnam (GVN) 
authorities welcome USG assistance.  Further, I confirm that 
it is in the interest of the United States to provide 
drought assistance to Vietnam. In consultation with OFDA's 
Acting Senior Regional Advisor for Asia, Embassy requests 
USD 50,000 under the Ambassador's authority, plus an 
additional sum of USD 150,000 to support drought-proofing 
initiatives in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam. 
Post will communicate with OFDA on transfer of funds once 
the partner selection process is completed.  Embassy 
requests that OFDA make an additional assessment of the 
Central Highlands area once clearance from GVN for the 
Mission is obtained. Pending the findings of that assessment 
and progress of this year's rainy season, Post may request 
additional assistance. 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
3. As outlined in previous cable (Hanoi 857) on the drought 
in Vietnam, GVN reports an estimated 1.12 million people are 
facing daily water shortages, 500,000 are suffering from 
hunger, and that Vietnam has suffered economic losses of 
over USD 113 million due to a severe drought that has 
continued for up to three years in the South Central Coastal 
and Central Highland regions of Vietnam (nine provinces 
total). Provincial officials refer to this as the worst 
drought in 30 years. 
 
4. In response, Embassy requested the USAID Office of 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Regional Advisor, 
accompanied by USAID/Vietnam staff, to conduct a rapid 
assessment of the drought situation in Binh Thuan and Ninh 
Thuan provinces, areas that GVN officials indicate are the 
worst affected and among the poorest provinces in Vietnam. 
Objectives of the mission included confirmation of the 
severity of the drought, the need for USG assistance, 
willingness of GVN local officials to accept USG assistance, 
and development of recommendations by the OFDA Advisor on an 
appropriate USG response to the drought.  The assessment 
team consisted of OFDA Regional Advisor, William S. Berger; 
Mission Disaster Response Officer, Nathan Sage; and USAID 
Development Assistance Specialist, Phung Thi Thanh Van. The 
team met with provincial, district, and commune-level 
officials and technical experts as well as staff from 
international NGOs. Onsite field interviews were conducted 
with affected populations in both provinces.  In addition, 
the team met with UNICEF representative and debriefed U.S. 
Consul General Seth Winnick in Ho Chi Minh City. 
 
SITUATION IN TWO SOUTH CENTRAL PROVINCES 
 
5. Binh Thuan Province. As indicated by provincial-level 
officials, the current drought, which started in July 2004, 
has had heavy impact on agriculture, animal husbandry, 
hydrology, forestry, and all aspects of the lives of those 
living in the province. There are both short- and long-term 
consequences. In 2004, the drought affected 40,628 hectares 
or 51 percent of the available cropland. Rice yields were 
down by 47 percent, maize was down by 78 percent and cotton 
down 78 percent for a total loss of VND 118.6 billion (USD 
7.5 million). In 2005, the drought situation is even worse, 
with losses to the winter/spring crop totaling VND 146 
billion (USD 9.2 million).  The forestry loss is 4,977 
hectares valued at VND 23 billion (USD 1.5 million), mainly 
affecting newly planted forest areas and seedlings. Water 
availability from lakes, rivers and ground water sources is 
only 40 percent of normal capacity and many rivers lakes and 
streams have dried up. Saltwater intrusion is a problem in 
Phong, Ham Thuan Nam, and Ham Tan districts. A total of 
118,769 people or 26,729 households in eight districts are 
suffering an acute shortage of water for drinking and 
sanitation.  The most affected areas are: Phong Phu, Vinh 
Tan, Vinh Hoa, Phu Lac in Tuy Phong district, Bac Binh, and 
Ham Thuan Bac district. From January 2005 to present, GVN 
has provided VND 22 billion (USD 1.4 million) for water 
demand. A total of 16,787 households require food assistance 
from the province. 
 
6. In response to the drought in Binh Thuan, GVN has 
provided 1,600 tons of rice and is preparing to provide food 
and other assistance over the next six months. Provincial 
authorities are using tanker trucks to supply drinking 
water, unsuccessfully attempting to drill deep wells for 
communities, dredging channels and stream beds, and 
investigating new ground water sources. They are also 
providing support for feeding cattle, and preparing 
reforestation programs. GVN has plans to provide seeds to 
farmers, but officials estimated that these will only 
support 58 percent of the required rice seed and 5 percent 
of the maize seed requirement. 
 
7. Ninh Thuan Province. According to provincial-level 
officials, rainfall was more than 50 percent below average 
in 2004, resulting in most of rivers, streams and reservoirs 
going dry. In 2004, less than 50 percent of available 
agricultural land was productive for a total area of 10,066 
hectares consisting of 4,653 hectares of rice, 1,248 
hectares of maize, cotton 69 hectares, with vegetable and 
beans at 1,794 hectares. Many farm animals have died and 
malnourishment affects 50 percent of cattle, 30 percent of 
goats and sheep. Throughout the province, 70-80 percent of 
new forestation has been lost and 215 hectares of forest 
burned. The total loss for agriculture to April 2005 is 
VND136.7 billion (USD 8.6 million) with VND 90 billion (USD 
5.7 million) in crop loss, VND 45 billion (USD 2.8 million) 
for livestock, and forestry loss of VND 787 million (USD 
50,000).  Only three of ten lakes total in the province have 
water with Tan Giang at 500,000 cubic meters compared to 13 
million cubic meters normally, Song Trau Lake with 3 million 
cubic meters compared to 31 million cubic meters, and Da 
Duong Lake with 28 million cubic meters. Out of 59 communes 
in the province, 32 provinces are short of drinking water 
and it is estimated that by the end of May 2005, there will 
be 28,041 households with 152,042 people lacking drinking 
water. 
 
8. In response to the drought in Ninh Thuan, GVN has 
provided 5,350 new shallow wells, two deep wells, and many 
household water storage tanks. Streams and ponds are being 
dredged, a new reservoir is being built, and new sources of 
ground water are being investigated. Planting of drought 
resistant crops and trees is being encouraged and rice, 
maize, green bean, and grape seed is being provided to 
farmers. A total of 55,000 animals have been transported to 
better pasture within and outside the province and 
veterinary services are being provided.  Food distribution 
consisting of 4,000 tons of rice valued at VND 24 billion 
(USD 1.5 million) have been provided. 
 
9. COMMENT: While central-level GVN officials indicate that 
Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces are the most severely 
drought stricken areas, Post believes that there may be 
under-reporting for the Central Highlands region where 
travel and NGO access are highly controlled.  Embassy will 
seek clearance for an additional drought assessment mission 
by OFDA to the Central Highlands and may make additional 
requests for OFDA assistance based on that assessment. 
 
TEAM OBSERVATIONS 
 
10. Agriculture/Livelihood. Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan are 
among the poorer provinces in Vietnam and have a number of 
minority populations representing various ethnic groups. 
While the beaches of these provinces offer the prospect of a 
thriving tourist industry, that potential is yet to be 
realized and almost the entire population is involved in or 
dependant on agriculture. As a result, drought impacts the 
entire provincial economy as purchasing power is lost and 
farmers go into a debt cycle that will be hard to break even 
if the rains come this year. As water becomes scarce and the 
economic assets of families dwindle away, children are often 
taken out of school to find jobs to contribute to the family 
income or help with scavenging for food in the forest or 
fetching water from more and more remote sources. Jobs 
become harder to find as demand for agricultural labor 
shrinks as less land is planted. A labor intensive 
infrastructure program (preferably targeting water 
retention) employing local labor is one potential GNV 
response. However, provincial authorities held out little 
hope that such programs would be prioritized at the central 
level of GVN where budgetary allocations are made. 
 
11. Most farmers own livestock.  Personal consumption is 
restricted to small livestock such as chickens and ducks 
while large livestock represents accumulated wealth and the 
main coping mechanism for hard times, and is therefore not 
consumed. Unfortunately, in a drought situation, when a 
farmer needs to sell his animals, either for need of capital 
or because he can no longer feed or water the animal, the 
bottom falls out of the market due to the surplus of farmers 
are in the same position.  Farmers reported that the price 
for cattle was down significantly (about 30-40 percent) and 
continuing to drop.  At the same time, inadequate local 
production of rice and increased demand from farmers who no 
longer produce enough for their own consumption have driven 
up the cost of rice by 20 percent to 30 percent over the 
last year according to people interviewed. 
 
12. While animals are suffering from lack of fodder, farmers 
are reluctant to turn their paddy fields to forage crops 
such as grass, fearing damage to fields and difficulty of 
converting fields back to normal production if and when the 
drought breaks. The team did not visit any forest areas but 
there are widespread reports that in addition to the damage 
inflicted on the forest by the lack of rainfall, poverty and 
the need for supplemental food are leading to severe 
exploitation and damage to vital forest resources. 
 
13. The drought is pushing more and more people below the 
poverty line.  All GVN officials interviewed mention this 
and one cited a district where the number of people below 
Vietnam's relatively low poverty line went from 19 percent 
to 49 percent since the drought began. 
 
WATER, SANITATION AND HEALTH 
 
14. NGO and GVN officials report that as water sources such 
as streams, shallow wells, springs, rivers, and reservoirs 
that people depend on for drinking water and sanitation 
continue to diminish, the incidence of disease is increasing 
as people are less able to bath or are forced to use 
contaminated water for bathing and drinking. The increase in 
disease is both exacerbated by and contributes to the 
already diminished levels of nutrition due to lack of 
variety and quantity of available food. Malnourishment leads 
to susceptibility to disease and gastrointestinal disorders 
lessen the ability to absorb nutrients. There is currently 
little data available from the GVN on the nutritional 
problem related to the drought, although UNICEF and the 
National Institute of Nutrition of Vietnam have undertaken 
separate assessments of the problem. Since there is little 
or no baseline data of afflicted communities, particularly 
ethnic minority villages, it is difficult to compare acute 
malnutrition rates caused by the current drought and chronic 
malnutrition rates. 
 
GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE 
 
15. The GVN at both central and provincial levels has 
provided emergency assistance to communities in the drought 
affected regions. In addition to providing three emergency 
rice distributions (in February, April, and May 2005), the 
GVN has provided seeds to farmers, trucked in water with 
tankers, developed alternative drinking water sources, 
deepened wells, and transported cattle to better foraging 
areas in other provinces. Still, local officials admit that 
the GVN alone is not able to meet increasing needs. 
Provincial officials of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan are 
willing and able to partner with international NGOs capable 
of providing assistance. 
 
16. COMMENT: Though these are arid provinces, provincial 
officials admitted that local disaster management plans are 
focused on flood and storm disasters with few standard 
operating procedures for dealing with drought. At the 
national level, a preoccupation with the potential Avian 
Influenza epidemic may account for the fact that this 
drought has not received more attention from the Central 
Government. 
 
17. In early April, OXFAM GB, World Vision and UNICEF 
completed a drought assessment in Ninh Thuan province on 
behalf of the GVN/NGO disaster management working group 
(full report may be obtained through the USAID/Vietnam 
office). The study highlighted widespread loss of 
livelihoods, increased food insecurity, increases in water- 
borne diseases, increased childhood malnutrition, and 
increased drop-out rates in schools as children are required 
to shoulder more support to their families as livelihoods 
diminish. The findings of the NGO Team were corroborated by 
observations of the USAID Assessment Team. Based on this 
assessment NGOs are enhancing current drought proofing 
programs, distributing seven million packages of 
nutritionally fortified noodle soups, and developing new 
strategies to assist the GVN. 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
18. Immediate. OFDA should support water harvesting and 
water thrift programs in the South Central Coastal provinces 
of Vietnam and should focus on provision of drinking water. 
Such schemes would include, for instance, rooftop rainwater 
harvesting systems, and deepening and remediation of wells. 
Initiatives should address both the acute and chronic 
drinking water shortages in these areas. To the greatest 
extent possible, programs should use locally purchased 
materials and local labor under a cash-for-work scheme. This 
would provide a much needed injection of cash into the 
economy, allow beneficiaries capital to address their own 
list of priority needs, and benefit a larger recipient 
community as cash circulates and multiplies in the local 
economy. 
 
19. Some provision of seeds to farmers may be needed for 
farmers if the monsoon rains develop sufficiently to support 
crops. Vietnam is a net exporter of rice and, hence, should 
be able to meet emergency food needs. Food interventions are 
therefore not recommended at this point. 
 
20. Long-term. OFDA and the USAID Mission should assess the 
feasibility of providing technical and/or program assistance 
to the arid zones of Vietnam for the introduction of drought 
resistant crops, drip irrigation systems, or other 
applicable drought proofing initiatives. 
 
 
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