HANOI, Vietnam — High temperatures and dried-up rivers are warning signs that Vietnam’s current drought is the worst in 100 years, reports 时间 杂志。用于灌溉的河流水位创历史新低，自 9 月以来几乎没有下过雨。虽然政府能够通过水电站大坝提供足够的水来灌溉春季种植，但北部水库的水位已经下降到无法提供进一步援助的水平。永福省农业厅厅长 Nguyen Van Thang 警告说，该省可能会损失多达三分之一的水稻作物。
The Mekong River Delta has been most affected, with water levels falling to 20-year lows. Salt from encroaching seawater — which has washed inland more than 60 km, according to TIME, is damaging crop land and putting the summer-fall crop in danger. The high temperatures have also contributed to increased insect pressure, with thousands of hectares of rice paddies damaged by attacking pests.
While some scientists are predicting rain to fall in the northern part of the country by the end of this month, some regions of Vietnam may not see any relief until August — too late to salvage some crops.