The water level in the Red River in Hanoi stood at 0.66 meters on Tuesday, its lowest level since records began to be maintained 107 years ago, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

He also attributed it to low tides, saying the water level had been at 1.14 meters at 7 a.m. earlier the same day.

Vietnam is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the United Nations says.

The drying out of the Red River, spanned by several bridges, has left fishing boats stranded and exposed much of the river bed.

“There isn’t yet clear scientific proof to say that this phenomenon is linked to climate change but I think there is a link between the two,” Hai told AFP.

He blamed the low water levels on the year’s short rainy season, warming because of the El Nino weather effect, and construction of hydro-electric projects on rivers in southern China and northern Vietnam.

“I think that the dryness which is hitting several rivers in northern provinces of Vietnam could continue at least until March or April 2010,” Hai said.

Dang Duy Hien of the Irrigation Department concurred, adding this year’s scanty rainfall were further reasons.

The state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has committed to releasing two billion cubic meters of water from hydropower reservoirs to reduce the risk of a crippling drought in the northern region and irrigate the upcoming winter-spring crop, he said.

Under the plan, from January 26 EVN would discharge water on three occasions from the Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba reservoirs until localities can easily pump water from the river for farming, he said.

EVN has guaranteed that the river’s water level would not go lower than 2.2 meters, he added.

On November 11, 2009, the Red River was flowing at 0.74 meters, the previous record until being broken now.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre