As the effects of climate change and salinity intrusion continue to plague farmers in the Mekong Delta, they have begun to restructure their cultivation plans. A farmer harvests mussels in the Mekong Delta’s Kiên Giang Province – VNS Photo “The saltwater has damaged thousands of hectares of rice in An Biên and An Minh districts, and other Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces. So, farmers in An Minh and An Biên districts are now breeding shrimp along with rice,” Lê Tấn, a farmer in Kiên Giang Province’s An Biên District said. Local authorities have been encouraging many farmers in the Delta to combine aquaculture and the cultivation of organic rice. In the past, farmers in coastal districts such as An Biên and An Minh grew two rice crops a year. One ha of rice produced only 2.5 to 4 tonnes and brought income of about VNĐ20 million (US$900). However, the combination of rice and aquaculture can … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta farmers switch crops to cope with climate change
Climate change
To cope with climate change, farmers switch crops
Viet Nam News By MEKONG DELTA – Lê Tấn, a farmer in Kiên Giang Province’s An Biên District, is making the best of a bad situation. As the effects of climate change and salinity intrusioncontinue to plague farmers in the Mekong Delta, they have begun to restructure their cultivation plans. “The saltwater has damaged thousands of hectares of rice in An Biên and An Minh districts, and other Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces. So, farmers in An Minh and An Biên districts are now breeding shrimp along with rice,” Tấn said. Local authorities have been encouraging many farmers in the Delta to combine aquaculture and the cultivation of organic rice. Phạm Thi Chi, a farmer in An Minh District, who has shifted to a combination of rice and aquaculture, said: “Fifteen households, including my own, invested in an irrigation dyke around rice areas to create a water supply system to control salinity. Local … [Read more...] about To cope with climate change, farmers switch crops
Project to develop Mekong Delta’s tourism adapted to climate change
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (back, fourth, right) witnessed the signing of the cooperation agreement in Can Tho on March 27th (Photo: VNA) They signed the cooperation agreement in Can Tho on March 27th in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The project aims to build and carry out a strategy for tourism connectivity and development of the 13 Mekong Delta localities with Can Tho city playing the key role. The parties in this project hope to build suitable models to international standards to tap into the Mekong Delta’s tourism potential while preserving local cultural identities. They also look to improve tourism services and public awareness of environmental protection and help small- and medium-sized enterprises create more jobs for local people. The Mekong Delta is the biggest rice, fruit and aquatic production hub of Vietnam. However, it is also one of the Vietnamese regions most vulnerable to climate change. BCG Managing Director in Vietnam Christopher Lewis … [Read more...] about Project to develop Mekong Delta’s tourism adapted to climate change
ADB President: Inclusiveness, climate change, and aging are challenges…
During his visit to Beijing, Mr. Nakao met the new Finance Minister and ADB Governor Liu Kun to exchange views on the status of the global and PRC economies, the PRC’s reforms including in the fiscal area, and the strong development partnership between ADB and the PRC. Minister Liu and Mr. Nakao agreed to promote regional cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, and the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program.ADB President Takehiko Nakao (second from right) and PRC Vice-Premier Han Zheng (center) along with other dignitaries at the China Development Forum 2018 in Beijing. (Source: ADB)Mr. Nakao highlighted three policy challenges for the PRC as it transitions to high-quality growth in a new era: (i) inclusiveness, (ii) climate change and the environment, and (iii) an aging society. He emphasized, in particular, the need for inclusive development. Mr. Nakao remarked “China is already a very … [Read more...] about ADB President: Inclusiveness, climate change, and aging are challenges…
Vietnamese affected by climate change struggle to make a living
VietNamNet Bridge - Droughts, rising sea water level, and the increased frequency of heavy rains and storms have caused huge damages to the economy, reducing GDP by 1-2 percent, according to GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation). Vietnam is suffering from the climate change In mid-March, residents in some coastal areas in the Mekong Delta began complaining about fresh water shortage. Farmers who had just finished harvesting of the winter-spring crop are now hurrying to sow the summer-autumn crop. Climate change has created many anomalous weather forms with natural disasters, storms, floods and salinization often occurring. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), natural disasters in 2017 caused total damages of VND60 trillion. Drought and saline intrusion have become a burning problem for the Mekong Delta. RELATED NEWS Red River Delta faces drought Mekong set for tougher drought Thien Nhien … [Read more...] about Vietnamese affected by climate change struggle to make a living