Lam Dong Province Discharges Floodwaters from Multiple Dams, Raising Concerns for Downstream Areas

Multiple reservoirs in Vietnam's Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have commenced flood discharge operations, as announced on September 23 by the Binh Thuan Water Resources Exploitation and Management Company Limited. According to the company, the Suoi Da reservoir is experiencing a significant increase in water levels due to heavy rainfall in its upper catchment area. To ensure structural safety and mitigate downstream flooding, the reservoir will begin discharging water at an initial rate of 3 to 5 cubic meters per second, with plans to increase this to 5 to 20 cubic meters per second depending on the situation. At the Ba Bau reservoir, approximately 84 cubic meters per second of water is flowing in, necessitating the opening of five spillway gates to discharge between 112 and 150 cubic meters per second. The Long Song reservoir, with a water level at elevation +73m, is expected to discharge between 30 and 150 cubic meters per second downstream. The Du Du reservoir, experiencing heavy rain in its catchment area, will open its spillway from 2 to 5 cubic meters per second, later increasing to 5 to 10 cubic meters per second based on inflow and downstream conditions. The Song Quao reservoir, with a water level at elevation +88m and continuing to rise, will regulate discharge between 10 to 50 cubic meters per second, potentially increasing to 50 to 100 cubic meters per second. The Song Khan reservoir, with a water level at elevation +105m, is projected to discharge between 2 and 20 cubic meters per second. All these reservoirs have seen rising water levels, and continued rainfall is anticipated. The company has urged all communes located in downstream areas to promptly inform residents and implement preventative measures to ensure safety. In Vietnam, infrastructure development is proceeding under a one-party system, but the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change presents new challenges for the operation of these facilities.