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July 1, 2024 - Drought in Vietnam and Cambodia
June 15, 2024
June 12, 2022
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Searing temperatures and scant rainfall triggered a months-long drought in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2024. In the first week of May, all-time high temperatures were recorded in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. According to news reports, Tuong Duong district, Vietnam sizzled with a high of about 111.6°F (44.2°C) and the city of Luang Prabang, Laos, saw 110.3°F (43.5°C) that week. Phnom Phen, Cambodia also sweltered under oppressive heat, with a peak high of 108°F (42.2°C) on May 1, after more than 40 consecutive days of highs reaching 99°F (37.2°C) or above.
Severe drought has reduced water levels in reservoirs and reduced flow in rivers, including the Mekong River. Not only is there a lack of water on cropland, but the reduced flow of fresh water has allowed early and widespread saltwater intrusion across the Mekong Delta. This one-two punch has had widespread impact across the region, affecting human health as well as agriculture.
In April, several provinces in Vietnam declared emergencies due to the shortage of clean water, according to ReliefWeb. At that time, at least 73,900 households were affected by the water shortage. Agriculture has been severely affected, with reports of rice paddies being wiped out due to scant (and strongly saline) water. The drought has also severely damaged production of Kampot pepper, a specialty of Cambodia and heavily stressed Vietnam’s coffee harvest.
On June 15, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a false-color image of Cambodia (northwest) and Vietnam (southeast). A second Terra MODIS false-color image was acquired on June 12, 2022, of the same area. They can be compared by clicking on the dates.
This type of image is used to highlight water, which appears blue—and the deeper the water, the darker the color. In addition, vegetation looks bright green, open land is tan, and clouds are either white or may be tinted with electric blue.
On June 15, 2024, the landscape appears water stressed with widespread tan showing around the lake (Tonle Sap) and the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River is visible coursing through Cambodia before passing through Vietnam to spill into the South China Sea. The blue water in the southwest corner is the Gulf of Thailand. The water of Tonle Sap is a turbid light blue, likely due to increasing sediment as water levels drop.
The June 12, 2022, image shows a more normal June—and the contrast between this and June 15, 2024, is stark. Not only is the Mekong River wider and Tonle Sap larger and less turbid, but water fills the Mekong Delta. The area which, in 2024, appears tan and dry is, in 2022, filled with shallow water and lush growth, resulting in a blue-green color widely spread across southern Cambodia and Vietnam.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/15/2024
Resolutions:
1km (212.4 KB), 500m (504.7 KB), 250m (952.3 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
June 15, 2024 June 12, 2022
Searing temperatures and scant rainfall triggered a months-long drought in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2024. In the first week of May, all-time high temperatures were recorded in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. According to news reports, Tuong Duong district, Vietnam sizzled with a high of about 111.6°F (44.2°C) and the city of Luang Prabang, Laos, saw 110.3°F (43.5°C) that week. Phnom Phen, Cambodia also sweltered under oppressive heat, with a peak high of 108°F (42.2°C) on May 1, after more than 40 consecutive days of highs reaching 99°F (37.2°C) or above.
Severe drought has reduced water levels in reservoirs and reduced flow in rivers, including the Mekong River. Not only is there a lack of water on cropland, but the reduced flow of fresh water has allowed early and widespread saltwater intrusion across the Mekong Delta. This one-two punch has had widespread impact across the region, affecting human health as well as agriculture.
In April, several provinces in Vietnam declared emergencies due to the shortage of clean water, according to ReliefWeb. At that time, at least 73,900 households were affected by the water shortage. Agriculture has been severely affected, with reports of rice paddies being wiped out due to scant (and strongly saline) water. The drought has also severely damaged production of Kampot pepper, a specialty of Cambodia and heavily stressed Vietnam’s coffee harvest.
On June 15, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a false-color image of Cambodia (northwest) and Vietnam (southeast). A second Terra MODIS false-color image was acquired on June 12, 2022, of the same area. They can be compared by clicking on the dates.
This type of image is used to highlight water, which appears blue—and the deeper the water, the darker the color. In addition, vegetation looks bright green, open land is tan, and clouds are either white or may be tinted with electric blue.
On June 15, 2024, the landscape appears water stressed with widespread tan showing around the lake (Tonle Sap) and the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River is visible coursing through Cambodia before passing through Vietnam to spill into the South China Sea. The blue water in the southwest corner is the Gulf of Thailand. The water of Tonle Sap is a turbid light blue, likely due to increasing sediment as water levels drop.
The June 12, 2022, image shows a more normal June—and the contrast between this and June 15, 2024, is stark. Not only is the Mekong River wider and Tonle Sap larger and less turbid, but water fills the Mekong Delta. The area which, in 2024, appears tan and dry is, in 2022, filled with shallow water and lush growth, resulting in a blue-green color widely spread across southern Cambodia and Vietnam.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/15/2024
Resolutions:
1km (212.4 KB), 500m (504.7 KB), 250m (952.3 KB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
