On June 3, Can Tho City, the socio-economic center of the Mekong Delta region launched its $322 million project to fight against flooding.

The project will cover an area of 2,700 hectares with $250 million borrowed from the World Bank, 72 millions funded by the provincial budget and $10 million granted by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

In recent years, the city’s flood situation has worsened. Heavy rains in combination with high tides often inundate more than 50 streets of the city. The Institute for Social and Environmental Transition said that water levels of inner rivers will go up by 15 millimeters each year, exacerbating the already serious problem of flooding.

By 2021, upon completion, the project is expected to benefit one million people of Can Tho City and about nine million of the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong Delta in south-western Vietnam is known as the world's rice bowl. It contributes 56 percent of Vietnam’s rice output and 40 percent of the country’s seafood volume.