Political agenda-setting for strategic delta planning in the Mekong Delta: converging or diverging agendas of policy actors and the Mekong Delta Plan?

Abstract

This article uses the lens of the Multiple Streams Approach to explore whether the agendas set by political actors in Vietnam converged with the agenda set in the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP). The MDP presents policy choices for the development of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The plan offers economically attractive, climate adaptive and environmentally sustainable paths forward in the face of climate change and economic uncertainties. We collected our data using qualitative techniques, including a literature review and interviews. We found convergence between the MDP's agenda and political actors' agendas, though divergences were also detected. Between the delivery of the MDP in 2013 and formal endorsement of its ideas in 2017, the problem stream, policy stream and politics stream were brought together by the actions of "policy entrepreneurs" (scientists and experts). Our findings suggest that agenda-setting and convergence were a crucial step towards endorsement of the strategic delta planning process for the Mekong Delta. Further research could explore issues of power mobilization in enabling or constraining decision-making.

Strategic delta planning: launching new ideas on managing a Delta, and their travels along actor coalitions, participatory planning tools and implementation timelines

“…The synthesis article by Seijger, van Halsema, and Korbee (2019) integrates the findings of the aforementioned studies. The studies are used to test and validate working hypotheses that were developed at the start of the NWO UDW Strategic Delta Planning project.…”

“…Four studies feature the introduction of new ideas and innovations to manage a delta. First, Vo et al (2019) offer an analysis of the agenda-setting phase and the introduction of innovative ideas in the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP) in Vietnam. For the MDP to be effective in shaping the future developments of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, the agenda as set by the MDP will have to be shared and adopted by involved stakeholders.…”

Assessment of the livelihood sustainability of rice farmers in the upper floodplains of the Vietnamese Mekong delta

“…Khi Kế hoạch ĐBSCL ra đời vào năm 2013 sau thời gian hợp tác giữa chính phủ Việt Nam và Hà Lan, sự phát triển đồng bằng được yêu cầu đặt trong chiến lược phát triển công nghiệp -nông nghiệp, tận dụng triệt để ưu thế của thiên nhiên 9 . Năm 2017, Nghị quyết 120 được ban hành nhằm hướng đến phát triển bền vững ĐBSCL thích ứng với biến đổi khí hậu, trong đó có yêu cầu các vùng tận dụng khai thác lợi ích nước từ lũ và hạn chế can thiệp thiên nhiên 13 . Chính vì vậy, tỉnh An Giang đã khuyến khích vùng kiểm soát lũ Bắc Vàm Nao hướng đến thực hiện canh tác 2 năm 5 vụ để gia tăng cho đất nghỉ ngơi, và rửa sạch đồng ruộng nhờ nước lũ.…”

Roles of innovation in strengthening strategic delta planning processes : The case of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

“…Room for the river can also serve to reduce drought damage and enhance groundwater recharge, as natural water storage and flood retention areas are created (Figure 8). Our final innovation is the integrated shrimp-mangrove farming system, which the MDP proposes as a no-regret innovation suitable for the coastal zone of the VMD (Vo et al, 2019). In this zone, farmers have long practiced a brackish water shrimp monoculture, which however, has led to environmental problems, disease, and yield failures (Royal HaskoningDHV et al, 2013).…”

“…The MDP advocates "green" measures to facilitate a safe, prosperous, economically, and environmentally sustainable, and climate-proof future for the delta region, taking into ac-count a 100-year timeframe (Vo et al, 2019). In particular, three lines of "no-regret" measures are proposed: (i) restoring the delta's natural floodplains with controlled flooding to accommodate future higher river peak flows;…”