Impacts of a saline water control project on aquaculture livelihoods in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract

PurposeDrought and salinity intrusion aggravated by climate change threaten agricultural livelihoods in Viet Nan's Mekong Delta. In response, authorities have built water management infrastructure for irrigation and salinity protection. This study assessed the impact of one such project, the Ba Lai dam in Ben Tre province, on the livelihoods of aquaculture farmers.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to assess the impact of the Ba Lai dam on the livelihood capitals of 18 farming households in four communes, located both upstream and downstream of the dam.FindingsThe authors find that, apart from some positive effects, the dam has also brought negative environmental consequences, such as increased water pollution. The authors also find that farmers have responded to the changes by adapting their livelihood practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe samples were relatively small, encompassing four communes in Ben Tre province. On the other hand, this case study is instructive to the many ongoing infrastructure projects in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.Social implicationsThe project have caused an increase in water-related social conflict.Originality/valueThe case of the Ba Lai dam provides a cautionary example for infrastructure-based water management plans, both in Viet Nam and more broadly. The study suggests the need to strengthen community participation and prioritize impacts of farmers' capital assets when constructing water management infrastructure for climate change adaptation.

Low-Cost Optical Sensors for Soil Composition Monitoring

“…First of all, we compare our results with those proposals based on image analysis. In [ 9 , 43 ], different methods based on image analysis were proposed and evaluated. The proposals based on image analyses are characterized by good performance by an R 2 of 0.9 [ 9 ] and 0.73 [ 42 ].…”

“…In [ 9 , 43 ], different methods based on image analysis were proposed and evaluated. The proposals based on image analyses are characterized by good performance by an R 2 of 0.9 [ 9 ] and 0.73 [ 42 ]. As in the previous case, spectroscopic methods are also used to determine soil salt content.…”

“…None of the included ones used DA. Among the most used regression tools, PLSR [9,43,44] is the most used, while others such as random forest regression (RFR), support vector regression (SVR), Gradient-Boosted Regression Tree (GBRT), Multilayer Perceptron Regression (MLPR), and Least Angle Regression (Lars) are used only in [45]. Among surveyed examples of sensing elements for soil sensor characteristics, the proposed ones offered a series of advantages.…”

“…The movement of salt from saline soil often triggers subsequent effects on water resources downstream, leading to the loss of accompanying infrastructure, environmental assets, and social values. Salinity can directly harm agricultural systems [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

The Art of Not Being Freshened: The Everyday Politics of Infrastructure in the Mekong Delta

“…Even with fresh water in the canals, salt remained in the soil, a legacy of the saline influence. Moreover, the decrease in water circulation had an adverse effect on the water quality in the newly "freshened" zone behind the dam and dike network [40]. In 2016, a hectare of rice land yielded an average of 5.68 tons per crop across the entire delta, but that figure was only 4.71 tons in Bến Tre [39].…”