Authors
Affiliations
1 Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) program - Vietnamese German University (VGU); hung.nt@vgu.edu.vn; anhkietqh05@gmail.com
2 Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Tra Vinh University; hvhiep@tvu.edu.vn
*Corresponding author: hvhiep@tvu.edu.vn; Tel: +84–963887689
Abstracts
This study examines the considerable impact of Saline Intrusion (SI) on the livelihoods of households (HH) in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta (VMD) which is main rice production powerhouse of the country. As a notable occurrence in the region, its damage has been evaluated through both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The principal conclusions are to the identification of capital elements via the examination of sustained damage and resilience in addressing forthcoming crises. The analysis of gathered data has shown the growing threat to the estuary’s agricultural output caused by the incursion of SI. This has particularly affected food production, which is a crucial and longstanding industry in the VMD’s economy. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices and develop ways to bolster resilience, which includes enhancing disaster preparedness and promoting sustainable livelihoods. This paper means to setup precedent for future studies, advocating for the inclusion of socioeconomic and ecological factors in policy framework development to mitigate the risks posed by environmental alteration and improve the resilience and adaptability of impacted farmers.
Keywords
Cite this paper
Hung, N.T; Hiep, H.V; Kiet, N.L.A. Saltwater damage in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A case study of agricultural livelihoods in Hung My commune, Tra Vinh province. J. Hydro-Meteorol. 2024, 21, 33-46.
References
1. UNFCCC. Report of the conference of the parties on its fifteenth session, held in Copenhagen, in Framework Convention on Climate Change, Copenhagen, 2009.
2. DFAT CSIRO Research for Development Alliance. Mekong futures: Regional and local studies, 2008-2014. Available online: https://wp.csiro.au/r4da/projects/long-term-projects/regional-and-local-studies/.
3. WMO. The global climate 2011-2020: A decade of accelerating climate change. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, 2023.
4. Carter, C.; Cui, X.; Ghanem, D.; Mérel, P. Identifying the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture. Annu. Rev. Resour. Econ. 2018, 10, 361–380.
5. IPCC. Climate change 2014: Synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC, Geneva, 2014.
6. Amnuaylojaroen, T.; Limsakul, A.; Chanvichit, P. Assessing the impact of climate change on agricultural water management in Mainland Southeast Asia. Adv. Meteorol. 2024, 2024(1), 1–22.
7. Zhai, F.; Zhuang, J. Agricultural impact of climate change: A general equilibrium analysis with special reference to Southeast Asia. Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific: How Can Countries Adapt? SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, 2012, pp. 17–35.
8. Taniushkina, D.; et. al. Case study on climate change effects and food security in Southeast Asia. Sci. Rep. 2024, 14(1), 16150.
9. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Regional environmental assessment on Mekong Delta integrated climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods project, Hanoi, 2016.
10. Mackay, P.; Russell, M. Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: Climate change impact and adaptation study in the Mekong Delta, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), 2011.
11. GSO. Planted area of cereals by province. General Statistics Office (GSO) of Viet Nam, 2022. Available online: https://www.gso.gov.vn/en/pxweb/?pxid=E0609&theme=Agriculture%2C%20Forestry %20and%20Fishing.
12. Piesse, M. The Mekong Delta: Land subsidence threatens Vietnam’s “Food Basket”. Future Directions International Pty Ltd. Nedlands, 2019.
13. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). Climate change and sea level rise scenarios of Viet Nam. IMHEN-MONRE, Hanoi, 2016.
14. World Bank. Toward integrated disaster risk management in Vietnam, Washington DC. 2017.
15. Sutton, W.R.; Srivastava, J.P.; Rosegrant, M.; Thurlow, J.; Sebastian, L. Striking a balance: Managing El Niño and La Niña in Vietnam’s agriculture. World Bank, Washington DC. 2019.
16. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). Proceedings of the Third Conference on Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Delta of Viet Nam. Hanoi, 2021.
17. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Vietnam - drought and saltwater intrusion emergency plan of action (EPoA) DREF operation n° MDRVN019 Final Report, Geneva, 2020.
18. Nguyen, N.A. Historic drought and salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta in 2016: Lessons learned and response solutions. VN J. Sci. Technol. Eng. 2017, 29(1), 93–96.
19. Mai, N.P.; Kantoush, S.; Tetsuya, S.; Thang, T.D. Proposed adaptation measures for saltwater intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Sustainability in Civil Engineering, December 25 to 27, 2022, Singapore, 2024.
20. Nguyen, T.A.; Nguyen, T.; Mac, T.; Nguyen, H. Assessing impacts of saltwater intrusion on social groups in the coastal areas of Mekong Delta and proposing amendments and improvements to social security policies, school of training and fostering cadres and civil servants in Labor - Social Affairs, Hanoi, 2021.
21. United Nations - Vietnam (UNVN). Vietnam drought and saltwater intrusion in Mekong Delta, United Nations Vietnam, Hanoi, 2020.
22. Dung, D.T.; Van Halsema, G.; Hellegers, J.G.J.P.; Fulco, L.; Wyatt, A. Questioning triple rice intensification on the Vietnamese mekong delta floodplains: An environmental and economic analysis of current land-use trends and alternatives. J. Environ. Manage. 2018, 217, 429–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.116.
23. Phuong, T.H.; Phung, H.P.; Hung, N.T.; Man, D.B.; Mon, D.; Vinh, D.H.; et al. Assessment of changes in the land use structure in Tra Vinh province under the scenarios of climate change and sea level rise. VN J. Sci. Technol. 2020, 58(1), 56–70.
24. Loc, H.H.; Binh D.V.; Park, E.; Shrestha, S.; Dung, T.D.; Son, V.H.; Truc, N.H.T.; Mai, N.P.; Seijger, C. Intensifying saline water intrusion and drought in the Mekong Delta: From physical evidence to policy outlooks. Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 757, 143919.
25. National Agency for Science and Technology Information NASATI. Salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta: Causes, impacts and response solutions. in Summary of Science - Technology - Economics 2016, Ministry of Sciene and Technology, Hanoi, 2016.
26. Prime Minister Office of Vietnam. Decision on Issuance of National Action Plan on Climate Change Period 2012 - 2020, Hanoi, 2012.
27. Southern Institute of Water Resource Planning (SIWRP). Irrigation planning in the Mekong Delta in consideration of climate change and sea level rise. Ho Chi Minh, 2012.
28. Prime Minister Office of Vietnam. Approval of Irrigation Planning for the Mekong Delta for 2012 - 2020 Period and Orientation Towards 2050. Hanoi, 2012.
29. Government of Vietnam (VG). Resolution on climate-resilient and sustainable development of the Mekong Delta, Hanoi, 2017.
30. Nguyen, N.T. Vietnamese Mekong Delta, 44 years of economic, social and environmental transformation. Implementation of the Resolution No 120/NQ-CP, 2019.
31. Tri, N.H.; Tien, H.T. Adaption to Salinity Intrusion for Rice Farming Household in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Proceeding of the 6th Asian Academic Society International Conference, 2018.
32. UNDP Viet Nam. Viet Nam Drought and Saltwater intrusion: Transitioning from Emergency to Recovery, UNDP Viet Nam, 2016.
33. Vietnamese Government Press (VGP). Preliminary Outcomes of Three-year Implementation of Resolution on Climate-resilient development of Mekong Delta, Government News, 2021. Available online: https://en.baochinhphu.vn/preliminary-outcomes-of-three-year-implementation-of-resolution-on-climate-resilient-development-of-mekong-delta-11140641.htm.
34. Brundtland Commission. Our common future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Geneva, UN, 1987.
35. UNCSD. AGENDA 21, in United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, Rio de Janerio, 1992.
36. Berkes, F. Understanding uncertainty and reducing vulnerability: Lessons from resilience thinking. Nat. Hazard 2007, 41, 283–295.
37. Diduck, A. The learning dimension of adaptive capacity: Untangling the multi-level connections. Adaptive Capacity: Building Environmental Governance in an Age of Uncertainty, Springer, 2010, 2, pp. 199–221.
38. Folke, C. Resilience: The emergence of a perspective for social-ecological systems analysis. Global Environ. Change. 2006, 16, 253–267.
39. Twigg, J. Characteristics of a disaster-resilient community a guidance note characteristics of a disaster-resilient community: A guidance note, London, Department for International Development, 2007.
40. Dung, D.T.; Park, E.; Tuoi, H.T.N.; Thien, D.N.; Tu, H.V.; Ngoc, T.A.P.; Van, C.; Long, P.; Loc, H.; Quang, N.X.C. Climate change impacts on rice-based livelihood vulnerability in the lower Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Empirical evidence from Can Tho City and Tra Vinh Province. Environ. Technol. Innovation. 2022, 28, 102834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2022.102834.
41. Huong, N.T.L.; Yao, S.; Fahad, S. Farmers’ perception, awareness and adaptation to climate. Int. J. Clim. Change Strategies Manage. 2017, 9(4), 555–576.
42. Brown, P.R.; Ward, J.; Tuan, V.V.; Nhan, K.D.; Dung, C.L. Influence of livelihoods on climate change adaptation for smallholder farmers in the Mekong Delta Vietnam. Int. J. Agric. Sustainability 2018, 16, 1–17.
43. Huong, N.T.L.; Yao, S.B.; Fahad, S. Assessing household livelihood vulnerability to climate change: The case of Northwest Vietnam. Hum. Ecol. Risk Assess.: Int. J. 2018, 25, 1–19.
44. Ho, T.D.N.; Kuwornu, J.; Tsusaka, T. Factors influencing smallholder rice farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Eur. J. Dev. Res. 2021, 34, 1–31.
45. Toan, T.Q.; Thao, N.D.; Takagi, H.; Esteban, M. Climate change and sea level rise in the Mekong Delta: Flood, tidal inundation, salinity intrusion, and irrigation adaptation methods. Proceeding of the Coastal Disasters and Climate Change in Vietnam, Oxford, Elsevier, 2014, pp. 199–218.
46. Thanh, T.N.; Huynh, H.V.; Vo, H.M.; Tri, V.P.D. Salinity intrusion trends under the impacts of upstream discharge and sea level rise along the Co Chien river and Hau river in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Climate 2023, 11, 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11030066.
47. Hoa, L.T. The impact of saltwater intrusion on rice cultivation and aquaculture in Ham Tan Commune, Tra Cu District, Tra Vinh Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Eur. Sci. J. 2023, 19(22), 27.
48. Government of Vietnam (VG). Standard for multi-dimensional poverty in 2021-2025 period, Hanoi, 2021.
49. World Bank (WB). The economics of adaptation to climate change, Vietnam, Washington DC. 2010.
50. Tyler, S.; Moench, M. A framework for urban climate resilience. Clim. Dev. 2012, 4(4), 311–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2012.745389.
51. Shah, K.U.; Dulal, H.B.; Johnson, C.; Baptiste, A. Understanding livelihood vulnerability to climate change: Applying the livelihood vulnerability index in Trinidad and Tobago. Geoforum 2013, 47, 125–137.
52. Hahn, M.; Riederer, A.; Foster, S. The livelihood vulnerability index: A pragmatic approach to assessing risks from climate variability and change—A case study in Mozambique. Global Environ. Change 2009, 19, 74–88.
53. Huynh, L.T.M.; Stringer, L.C. Multi-scale assessment of social vulnerability to climate change: An empirical study in coastal Vietnam. Clim. Risk Manage. 2018, 20, 165–180.
54. Yamane, Y. Statistics: An introductory analysis 2nd Edition, New York, Harper and Row, 1967.
55. Hung My Commune People’s Committee. Approved master plan of Hung My Commune, Chau Thanh District, Tra Vinh province, Tra Vinh, 2019.
56. Dung, L.; Nhan, D.; Vo, V.; Ward, J.; Brown, P. Financial capacity of rice-based farming households in the context of climate change in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Asian J. Agric. Dev. 2018, 14(1), 73–87.
57. Ward, J.; Varua, M.E.; Maheshwari, B.; Oza, S.; Purohit, R.; Dave, H.S. Exploring the relationship between subjective wellbeing and groundwater attitudes and practices of farmers in rural India. J. Hydrol. 2016, 540, 1–16.
58. Cong, T.P.; Manh, D.; Huy, H.; Phuong, T.; Tuyen, L. Livelihood vulnerability assessment to climate change at community level using household survey: A case study from Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam. Mediterr. J. Social Sci. 2016, 7, 358.