On 21^st June 2021, at the Hall of the Research Institute for Climate Change (DRAGON – Mekong Institute), a seminar “Spatial and temporal variabilities of surface water and sediment pollution at the main tidal-influenced river in Ca Mau Peninsular, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta” was presented by Le Van Muoi, a Ph.D. student in the International Postgraduate Programs in Hazardous Substance and Environmental Management, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and a lecturer at Bac Lieu University. The research was conducted to assess the status of surface water and sediment quality at the Ganh Hao River where it has been affected significantly by different sources of the pollutants.

Specific objectives of the presentation were as follows:

• Assessing the water and sediment quality at representative sites along the river with the references of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Vietnam and the United States Environmental Protection Agency standards for the surface water quality and with Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Vietnam and pollution indices (Geo-accumulation, Contamination Factor, and Pollution Load Index) for the sediment quality.
• Identifying driving factors leading to temporal changes in the surface water quality.
• Evaluating the effects of the tidal regime and seasonality on water quality.
• Identifying the pollution hotspots to recommend surface water extraction areas to meet water usage demands of inhabitants.

(News & Image: DRAGON - Mekong Institute)