The Mekong delta - risks and opportunities in the face of climate change and resource depletion 

Vo-Tong Xuan

Angiang University
vtxuan@agu.edu.vn

Abstract

A report in 2007 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) listed the Mekong Delta (MKD), Bangladesh and the Nile Delta in Egypt as the world’s three “hot spots” for potential migration because of their combination of sea-level rise and existing population. Harry Clarke, in the New York Times September 25, 2009, has expounded the options that Vietnam may consider in case the sea water level in 2100 will rise 19 to 59 cm, or even 100 cm by some other prediction. On the contrary, many scientists do not believe in all these skeptic predictions.

At any event, many regions on the globe are experiencing unusual calamities. The MKD is no exception. Compared to industrialized areas, by observation the MKD does not seem to contribute much to the global warming due to emission of CO2; but it may generate too much CH4 (by rice cultivation and other agricultural wastes) and N2O (by excessive fertilizers) as farmers are intensively cultivating this land. As we feel warmer in the dry season, the flood on the  MKD becomes more frequent during the rainy season. Furthermore in the dry season fresh water scarcity induces salinity intrusion as far in land as 120 km. Three approaches could be considered:

Adaptation: This is about time the MKD farmers should adjust their cultivation practices and at the same time the policy makers should provide more infrastructures and research facilities to mitigate the impact of climate change. With future higher temperature of the atmosphere, plant breeders will use various breeding techniques to produce crop varieties heat tolerant and resistant to new species of insect pest and diseases. With higher level of field water, submergent tolerant, and possibly salt tolerant, rice varieties will be needed. High dike protection must be provided in strategic areas. Reforestation of the coastal mangroves and conserving their biodiversity will enhance environmental resilience, reduce Vietnam’s net contribution to climate change while simultaneously providing valuable community assets, tourism resources and even saleable pollution offsets via Clean Development Mechanism schemes. In livestock production, feed plants that are not competing with human consumption can be used to feed ruminants.

Mitigation:  CH4 and N2O emission can be reduced greatly if rice in vulnerable areas would be converted to valuable fruit trees within high dike.  In rice areas, farmers should follow strictly the good agricultural practice (GAP) by green farming systems such as rice-livestock integration: from efficient fertilization of the soil, to post-harvest use of all the straw to feed livestock, and from manure to feed biogas digester. Then, biogas effluent will be used for fertilizing crops. Rice straw could be used for mushroom production, its residues will be used as fertilizers, too. Also in rice production, farmers will apply intermittent irrigation as a new routine practice. Zero-tillage rice cultivation will be encouraged.

International cooperation: eventually the Tra Noc thermal power plant should be replaced by carbon-friendly, nuclear, renewable, and perhaps clean coal power plant.