Hanoi, Feb. 18 -- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed an official dispatch on February 17, urging ministries and localities to take proactive measures against peak salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. The dispatch, citing the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, notes that salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta and HCM City increased during the high tide period last week. It forecasts that from February to April, salinity intrusion will continue to rise, exceeding the multi-year average but remaining lower than in 2016 and 2020, and slightly below 2024 levels. During the peak period of salinity intrusion, freshwater shortages may occur in certain areas, particularly in coastal regions, as salinit...