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Resilience and shifts in agro-ecosystems facing increasing sea-level rise and salinity intrusion in Ben Tre Province, Mekong Delta

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  • F. Renaud
  • Thi Le
  • C. Lindener
  • Vo Guong
  • Z. Sebesvari

Abstract

Coastal areas of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam are increasingly experiencing salinity intrusion in freshwater systems, in part due to climate change induced sea-level rise, compromising agricultural production and domestic water supply. In order to determine which development trajectories could result in resilient agro-ecosystems, a study area in Thanh Phu district, Ben Tre province was selected where the influence of salinity intrusion on agro-ecosystem can be studied along spatial and temporal salinity gradients. The district is divided in three sub-regions: sub-region 3, closest to the coastline, is principally dedicated to brackish-water shrimp farming; more inland, sub-region 2 has a mix of rice-shrimp farming; and further inland, sub-region 1, which is protected from salinity intrusion by a system of dykes, is dedicated principally to rice farming. Household and expert interviews, focus group discussions and a review of policy documents were used to capture historical salinity problems as well as shifts in farming systems. Agricultural activities have changed in the last decades, mainly driven by national-level policies. At present, the development of engineered infrastructures is favoured whereas complementary or alternative solutions to increase the resilience of social-ecological systems with respect to salinity intrusion exist. These include regeneration of coastal ecosystems, agronomic measures, upstream flow control and shifts in agro-ecosystems. The latter would increasingly enable farmers to work under the influence of both saline and freshwater systems allowing income diversification. National authorities have an opportunity to change the business as usual mode of tackling water-related problems including extreme events in the Mekong Delta through infrastructure development by looking at these alternative solutions. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • F. Renaud & Thi Le & C. Lindener & Vo Guong & Z. Sebesvari, 2015. "Resilience and shifts in agro-ecosystems facing increasing sea-level rise and salinity intrusion in Ben Tre Province, Mekong Delta," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 69-84, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:133:y:2015:i:1:p:69-84
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-014-1113-4
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    1. Dasgupta, Susmita & Laplante, Benoit & Meisner, Craig & Wheeler, David & Jianping Yan, 2007. "The impact of sea level rise on developing countries : a comparative analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4136, The World Bank.
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    1. Le, Thuy Ngan & Bregt, Arnold K. & van Halsema, Gerardo E. & Hellegers, Petra J.G.J. & Nguyen, Lam-Dao, 2018. "Interplay between land-use dynamics and changes in hydrological regime in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 269-280.
    2. Tran, Thong Anh & Nguyen, Tri Huu & Vo, Thang Tat, 2019. "Adaptation to flood and salinity environments in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Empirical analysis of farmer-led innovations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 89-97.
    3. Thijs Poelma & Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak & Duong Nha & Thong Anh Tran, 2021. "Climate change and livelihood resilience capacities in the Mekong Delta: a case study on the transition to rice–shrimp farming in Vietnam’s Kien Giang Province," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Dam, Thi Huyen Trang & Tur-Cardona, Juan & Speelman, Stijn & Amjath-Babu, T.S. & Sam, Anu Susan & Zander, Peter, 2021. "Incremental and transformative adaptation preferences of rice farmers against increasing soil salinity - Evidence from choice experiments in north central Vietnam," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    5. Thuy Ngan Le & Arnold K. Bregt & Gerardo E. van Halsema & Petra J. G. J. Hellegers & Thi Thu Trang Ngo, 2023. "Multi-Scale Drivers of Land-Use Changes at Farm Level I: Conceptual Framework and Application in the Highly Flooded Zone of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-32, June.
    6. Do, Huu-Luat & Ho, Thong Quoc, 2022. "Climate change adaptation strategies and shrimp aquaculture: Empirical evidence from the Mekong Delta of Vietnam," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    7. Timothy Gorman, 2023. "The Art of Not Being Freshened: The Everyday Politics of Infrastructure in the Mekong Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, March.
    8. CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)., 2018. "River deltas: scaling up community-driven approaches to sustainable intensification," IWMI Water Policy Briefings 311129, International Water Management Institute.
    9. Pedroso, Rui & Tran, Dang Hoa & Viet, Trinh Quoc & Le, An Van & Dang, Khoa Tran & Le, Khac Phuc, 2018. "Technical efficiency of rice production in the delta of the Vu Gia Thu Bon river basin, Central Vietnam," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 18-26.
    10. Joern Birkmann & Reinhard Mechler, 2015. "Advancing climate adaptation and risk management. New insights, concepts and approaches: what have we learned from the SREX and the AR5 processes?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 1-6, November.
    11. Nguyen Trung Nam & Pham Thi Bich Thuc & Do Anh Dao & Nguyen Duc Thien & Nguyen Hai Au & Dung Duc Tran, 2023. "Assessing Climate-Driven Salinity Intrusion through Water Accounting: A Case Study in Ben Tre Province for More Sustainable Water Management Plans," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, June.
    12. Kaveney, Brooke & Barrett-Lennard, Edward & Chau Minh, Khoi & Dang Duy, Minh & Nguyen Thi, Kim Phuong & Kristiansen, Paul & Orgill, Susan & Stewart-Koster, Ben & Condon, Jason, 2023. "Inland dry season saline intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta is driving the identification and implementation of alternative crops to rice," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    13. Tran, Thong Anh, 2019. "Land use change driven out-migration: Evidence from three flood-prone communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Pragya Pradhan & Trang Thi Huyen Pham & Sangam Shrestha & Ho Huu Loc & Edward Park, 2022. "Projecting the impact of human activities and climate change on water resources in the transboundary Sre Pok River Basin," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 1-23, June.
    15. Tran, Hanh & Nguyen, Quoc & Kervyn, Matthieu, 2018. "Factors influencing people’s knowledge, attitude, and practice in land use dynamics: A case study in Ca Mau province in the Mekong delta, Vietnam," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 227-238.
    16. Sousa Santos, Maria Mayara & Lacerda, Claudivan Feitosa & Rocha Neves, Antonia Leila & de Sousa, Carlos Henrique Carvalho & de Albuquerque Ribeiro, Aureliano & Alves Bezerra, Marlos & da Silva Araújo,, 2020. "Ecophysiology of the tall coconut growing under different coastal areas of northeastern Brazil," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    17. Marko Reljić & Marija Romić & Davor Romić & Gordon Gilja & Vedran Mornar & Gabrijel Ondrasek & Marina Bubalo Kovačić & Monika Zovko, 2023. "Advanced Continuous Monitoring System—Tools for Water Resource Management and Decision Support System in Salt Affected Delta," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, February.

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