(GLO) - Reservoirs and dams play a critical role in supplying water for irrigation, daily use, and hydropower generation. However, in Gia Lai province, particularly in its western region, irrigation infrastructure remains inconsistent and insufficient to meet demand.
In a recent interview with Gia Lai Broadcasting and Newspaper, Mr. Vũ Ngọc An, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, discussed the current status, challenges, and future plans for the province’s irrigation systems.
*What is the current status of irrigation infrastructure and the management of reservoirs and dams in Gia Lai?
Mr. Vũ Ngọc An, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment. Photo: Provided by the interviewee
- Gia Lai province currently operates 283 reservoirs with a combined capacity of approximately 1.275 billion cubic meters, along with 486 weirs and 53 hydropower reservoirs totaling nearly 2,700 MW of capacity.
This infrastructure supplies irrigation water to more than 270,000 hectares of farmland each year.
Beyond irrigation, these facilities provide water for domestic use, power generation, aquaculture, and industrial production.
Large reservoirs such as Ayun Hạ, Ia Mơr, Định Bình, Đồng Mít, and Núi Một ensure stable irrigation for rice, crops, and industrial plants.
They also help regulate floods, provide water for livestock and aquaculture, and support local livelihoods, making a significant contribution to the province’s socio-economic development.
However, many of these facilities were built decades ago and are now severely deteriorated. Landslides on dam slopes, damaged spillways, and degraded intake structures create difficulties in operation, especially during rainy and flood seasons.
Smaller reservoirs managed by local authorities often lack design documentation, complicating maintenance and database development.
In addition, limited operational capacity at the grassroots level leads to technical mismanagement and safety risks.
Ayun Hạ irrigation reservoir supplies water for over 13,500 hectares of agricultural land, supports two rice crops per year in Phú Thiện, Ia Pa, Ayun Pa, generates electricity, and serves several industrial production facilities. Photo: Phạm Quý
*What are the reasons for the limited water supply capacity in the western region?
-Geographical and historical factors have created significant disparities between the eastern and western parts of Gia Lai.
The eastern region, formerly part of Bình Định province, benefited from early investment in reservoirs and dams, with a synchronized canal network adapted to flat terrain and concentrated populations. This provided strong support for irrigation development.
In contrast, the western region, originally part of Gia Lai, faces difficult mountainous terrain, steep slopes, sparse population, prolonged dry seasons, and scattered, unstable surface water sources.
Combined with limited investment resources, these challenges have left the west with insufficient water supply, particularly during the dry season when shortages are frequent.
*Does the province have plans to improve the irrigation system in the western region?
- Yes. The province has designated the western region as a priority for investment during the 2026-2030 period. Major projects include the Ea Thul project and the Ayun Thượng-Đăk Pờ Tó water transfer system, along with anti-erosion works and irrigation modernization initiatives.
The province also plans to expand water-saving irrigation technologies, improve reservoir connectivity, and construct canal systems adapted to local terrain.
These measures aim to narrow regional disparities and secure a stable water supply for both agricultural production and daily life.
*What solutions will be implemented to address the deterioration of reservoirs and dams?
- In the short term, Gia Lai will conduct a comprehensive review of existing infrastructure to develop a prioritized repair list based on urgency and funding availability.
Resources will be mobilized from local and central budgets, national target programs, climate change adaptation funds, and social investment.
The province is also accelerating the use of monitoring technologies, meteorological and hydrological forecasting, and reservoir regulation systems.
Training for operational staff, regular maintenance programs, and community awareness campaigns will be strengthened to ensure safety during storm and flood seasons.
At the same time, Gia Lai is actively seeking diverse funding sources for reservoir rehabilitation, water-saving irrigation, and canal development.
The province has requested that the central government enhance decentralization, increase budget allocations for maintenance of critical reservoirs, and introduce special mechanisms for large-scale irrigation and water supply projects in drought-prone areas.
Additional proposals include investment in centralized rural clean water supply systems and technical support for training human resources in monitoring, operation, and regulation technologies. The ultimate goal is modern, efficient, and safe irrigation management for sustainable development.
Gia Lai province is intensifying administrative and financial reforms to expand private-sector growth after a sharp rise in new business formations and strong contributions to local economic output, according to provincial authorities.
Diên Hồng Ward’s authorities has approved an auction for leases of 73 stalls at its food street and night market, according to Decision No. 31/QD-UBND issued on January 15, 2026.
Businesses across the province are expanding their Tet gift basket offerings this year, emphasizing practicality, clear product origins, and strong local identity as consumer demand begins to rise.
The Gia Lai Provincial Tax Department is projecting record budget revenue of VND 27,783 billion (approximately USD 1.13 billion) in 2025, driven by a comprehensive digital ecosystem that has reshaped taxpayer services and strengthened tax administration across the province.
Gia Lai province has rapidly upgraded its telecommunications and digital infrastructure, positioning connectivity as a core driver of local economic transformation and digital development, provincial authorities said at a year-end review conference.
Phu My - Quy Nhon Construction Investment Co., Ltd. on January 17 held the topping-out ceremony for the Simona Heights apartment tower in Quy Nhon Ward, Gia Lai Province, marking the completion of the project’s structural framework after 24 months of construction.
Gia Lai Province is rapidly overhauling its crop structure as climate change, rising production costs, and unstable agricultural markets push local authorities and farmers toward more profitable and sustainable models.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAGL) will break ground on its Phu Dong High-Rise Residential and Commercial Complex on January 18 in Pleiku Ward, Gia Lai Province, according to the company.
Gia Lai province has significantly accelerated administrative procedure reforms, winning positive feedback from investors and businesses by prioritising facilitation, transparency and predictability as core measures of effectiveness.
Ia Phí commune in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province is emerging as a model for clean agriculture and agrotourism, driven by a young Jrai farmer who converted depleted coffee farmland into an organic production chain now replicated by dozens of local households.
Gia Lai Province on January 18 broke ground on the Phu Dong High-Rise Residential and Commercial Complex in Pleiku City, a project developed by Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company that officials say will shape a new urban landmark and support the city’s long-term growth.
The People’s Committee of Gia Lai Province has approved a plan to implement the Project on Deployment, Application and Management of the Traceability System for the 2026-2030 period, aiming to ensure that 100% of high-risk products and goods are subject to traceability under a defined roadmap.
Gia Lai province has revised its reforestation plan following heavy losses caused by Storm No. 13, raising the 2026 planting target and rolling out measures to improve forest quality and sustainability.
Despite offering competitive pay, businesses across Gia Lai province are struggling to recruit enough seasonal workers ahead of the Lunar New Year, as agriculture and other higher-paying jobs draw labor away.
Allocating forest land and protection contracts to local residents has significantly improved forest management in several western communes of Gia Lai province, authorities and community leaders say, strengthening conservation while supporting livelihoods.
Farmers in the lower Ayun River region of Gia Lai province have begun sowing the 2025-2026 winter–spring rice crop, capitalising on what they describe as the most favourable cultivation window of the year, with lower risks from storms and natural disasters.
On barren white sand once deemed desolate and unproductive, farmer Nguyễn Xuân Ánh has methodically built a nearly 10-hectare integrated farm, generating an average annual profit of 500–700 million VND (approximately USD 20,000–28,000).
Tay Son commune in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province is reporting tangible gains after overhauling its poverty reduction approach, shifting from unconditional assistance to conditional support tied to household responsibility under the national target program on sustainable poverty reduction for 2021-2025.
Industrial parks in Gia Lai province delivered mixed results in management, investment and development in 2025, with some zones exceeding official targets while others lagged amid infrastructure bottlenecks and global economic headwinds, provincial authorities said.
Gia Lai province, home to nearly one million hectares of forest, is emerging as a strong contender in Vietnam’s developing forest carbon market, with the potential to generate tens of millions of dollars annually while strengthening forest protection and local livelihoods.
Mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming are emerging as a reliable livelihood for thousands of households in western Gia Lai province, as production–consumption linkages help farmers reduce risks and steadily improve living standards.
The Gia Lai Provincial Farmers’ Association on December 31 convened its first Congress of delegates for the 2025–2030 term, marking a new phase in mobilising farmers and advancing sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
With nearly two months until the Lunar New Year 2026, residents and livestock enterprises in western Gia Lai are accelerating herd restoration and expansion to secure meat and poultry supplies before, during and after the Tet holiday, local authorities said.
A coastal province has approved Resolution No. 27/2025 to support fishermen in changing occupations and decommissioning fishing vessels that fail to meet operational requirements, as declining fish stocks, rising costs and stricter regulations squeeze traditional fishing livelihoods.
