Groundwater governance reforms to address land subsidence and saline intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract

Groundwater governance in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) faces multiple challenges, ranging from technical constraints to organizational inefficiencies and behavioral impediments, that contribute to resource degradation. Improved groundwater governance is urgently needed, particularly amidst climate change and escalating impacts such as land subsidence and saltwater intrusion. This study analyses groundwater governance at the regional scale and examines how different stakeholders shape policy implementation regarding groundwater governance in the VMD, with a specific focus on Decree 167/2018, a key regulatory milestone. A qualitative case study approach was employed, combining in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and provincial and regional workshops. Using the OECD Water Governance Principles as an analytical framework, regional governance gaps and enabling factors were identified, followed by an in-depth analysis of Decree 167 implementation across four VMD provinces. The findings reveal that fragmented institutional mandates, uneven stakeholder engagement, limited monitoring and data systems, and divergent interests of influential actors jointly constrain effective groundwater governance and exacerbate land subsidence risks. These results highlight how governance challenges evolve across administrative boundaries and hydrological scales, underscoring the need for regionally coordinated and adaptive governance arrangements. By linking empirical evidence from the VMD to broader groundwater governance debates, the study provides insights into the importance of policy coherence, multi-level coordination, and actor alignment in managing common-pool groundwater resources. Policy implications include strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, enhancing vertical and horizontal coordination, building institutional capacity, exploring alternative water sources, and promoting stakeholder awareness and participation to support effective groundwater governance in delta regions.