Farmers wade through knee-deep water to save crops after severe storm batters region: 'It's devastating'
Typhoon Wutip hit Vietnam's La Huong vegetable-growing area hard with steady downpours and swamped farmland.
Farmers desperately tried to save their crops while working under heavy rain and wading through knee-deep floods.
What's happening?
As Sài Gòn Giải Phóng reported, Typhoon Wutip caused significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The intense storm submerged fields where approximately 50 households grew over seven hectares of vegetables. Among the crops were water spinach, basil, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and pennywort. The storm destroyed an estimated five hectares of crops.
One local farmer told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng, "After months of hard work, the storm came right before harvest time. It's devastating."
Even now, water levels continue to rise, making the viability of future crops unpredictable.
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Meanwhile, southern Vietnam saw strong winds and heavy rains that damaged homes and a shrimp hatchery. In the Ca Mau Province and Trần Văn Thời District, over 4,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice fields suffered flood damage and crop loss.
Other areas have been experiencing landslides, fallen trees, blocked roads, erosion, and debris flows due to Typhoon Wutip.
Why is extreme weather damage in Vietnam important?
Vietnam has been experiencing extensive damage due to extreme weather events, paralleling similar global patterns worldwide.
Extreme rain, wind, floods, and other harsh weather due to our overheating planet impact our crops and global food supply. This phenomenon is troubling for farmers who make a living off their crops and everyone else when the price of groceries increases due to supply shortages.
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Meanwhile, intense storms disrupt entire ecosystems, displacing animal habitats, killing plants, and creating gaps in our food chain. In addition to floods like the ones in Vietnam, harsh droughts threaten global agriculture and compromise the health of people living near and far from storm epicenters.
What's being done about our climate's impacts on agriculture?
Fortunately, biotechnology and technological developments are helping farmers adapt to the world's shifting weather patterns.
Researchers have experimented with genetically modified organisms that are more resilient to droughts, heat, and floods. Gene-edited plants that can withstand adverse conditions may be the key to preserving our global food supply.
However, it's also essential to address the root causes of these climate impacts with tangible solutions, like transitioning away from pollution-heavy energy sources like oil and gas. Clean, renewable energy from wind and solar systems can complement scientific innovations, reduce air pollution, and curb our planet's steady overheating.
As an individual, you can learn more about critical climate issues like agriculture risks and share what you know with family and friends.
You can also start a home garden to grow your own food and lessen the strain on the global food supply. Growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs is a physically and mentally healthy hobby that boosts self-sufficiency in the event of future food shortages.
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