Mekong Delta residents will participate in reporting water levels in their living areas to national forecast centers. (Photo: SGGP)

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has given 38 cell phones to residents in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces to improve the involvement of the community living in flood areas with flood forecast, as well as improve the ability of national forecast centers.

They have been trained how to use the cell phones to report flooding in their area to the Southern Regional Hydro-meteorological Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Jeremy Bird, MRC’s Secretariat, weather forecasters had to previously cope with many difficulties in communicating with rural areas for information about floods.

The program to widen low-cost mobile networks has now made it more feasible for residents to participate in reporting water levels.