Absence of seasonal flooding washes away Mekong Delta livelihood
The enforced absence of annual flooding that Vietnam’s Mekong Delta heavily depends on for agriculture and aquaculture has put the livelihoods of millions at stake.
For several years, the annual flooding that has nourished the delta for centuries has been late, deficient or absent, and experts have blamed it on climate change and the construction of a series of upstream dams
During the last dry season, saline levels of up to six grams per liter were found in some areas. Salinity of one to four grams was found 50 kilometers (31 miles) upstream on average, and up to 130 kilometers, in all tributaries of the Mekong. Salinity above one gram is considered unpalatable and levels of above two unsafe for most crops.
Ngoc Tai
