Towards transition pathways in agriculture and livestock in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta from an agricultural water management perspective

Abstract

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is the main agricultural production region in Vietnam producing rice, fruits, shrimps, livestock among a variety of crops. The current VMD agricultural production system (APS) is under threat from sea level rise aggravated by climate change causing further inland salinity intrusion. Transition pathways towards increased salinity adaptation in APSs are therefore required to maintain food security. This study assesses the present water sources usage for APSs and associated quality, quantity and food safety issues. Water-related stresses observed by farmers in the coastal Tra Vinh region are described based on a focus group discussion and in-depth household interviews. Multiple water sources were described for agricultural practices (e.g., surface water, deep well, rainwater) which differed per season. Also, farmers reported to be affected by salinity (67.3%) and groundwater shortages (28.8%) hampering current agricultural production. Solutions and adaptations foreseen vary from more efficient irrigation, dropping crops and new practices and in a lesser brackish water farming systems or moving to new places and transfer to new jobs. Subsequently, transition pathways focusing on salinity adaptation to maintain food security are proposed from a water- and soil management perspective and include i) irrigation innovations to produce crops under more scarce fresh water availability, ii) freshwater storage as a buffer in dry season; iii) basic water treatment options to make water brackish/saline water suitable for livestock and iv) increase soil organic content which can improve soil water retention and reduce impacts of salinity on crops. It is recommended to test multiple transition pathways on farm level in representative regions in the VMD through living labs or demonstration farms.