{"id":2360,"date":"2017-05-30T09:38:33","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T02:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nature.org.vn\/en\/?p=2360"},"modified":"2017-07-19T14:22:17","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T07:22:17","slug":"workshop-water-security-risks-and-narratives-in-mekong-delta-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nature.org.vn\/en\/workshop-water-security-risks-and-narratives-in-mekong-delta-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"Workshop: Water Security Risks and Narratives in Mekong Delta \u2013 Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Located at the extreme southeastern end of the Mekong River where it\u00a0approaches and empties into the South China Sea through a network of\u00a0distributaries, the Mekong Delta has long been referred to as Vietnam\u2019s \u201crice bowl\u201d which is characterized by dominant fertile agriculturally-rich low-lands and what may be called a \u201cbiological treasure trove.\u201d A majority of the Delta\u2019s 20 million, ethnically diverse population rely on the River\u2019s fish resources and rice production for their subsistence, with very little margin for error. As home to thousands of species of fish, bird, reptile, and mammal species, the Mekong Delta is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.\u00a0Tens of endangered species, such as the largest bird, Sarus crane, and giant catfish, thrive in this maze of wetlands, swamps, arroyos, and canals too.<\/p>\n

However, Vietnam\u2019s Mekong Delta is now one of the world\u2019s most fragile regions appearing most vulnerable to climate hazards, notably temperature rises and extreme drought followed by freshwater scarcity and salinity intrusion. More challenging is the fact that upstream dam-building and water diversion projects have caused severe and irreparable damage to the Delta, making the impacts of climate change become much more serious than what was assumed in prevailing climate change scenarios in Vietnam. As a result, the Delta has so much at stake due to huge water shortages, which in turn may lead to increased rate of salinity, inland ground depression, and humanitarian and other economic impacts.<\/p>\n

From China to Vietnam, the\u00a0mighty Mekong is the lifeblood of riparian states and offers a glimpse into the long history and diverse cultures of the region. The last decades have witnessed the sustained pace of economic development of those countries where rapid economic growth reveals the substantial trade-off between economic development and environmental protection. In a clash between riparian governments trying to meet huge demands for hydropower for a growing population in their energy-hungry urban centers, and the need to protect and preserve the Mekong\u2019s ecological riches and fisheries, conservation and water and food security are clearly losing. Despite growing concerns from downstream communities and huge biodiversity and agricultural losses, Mekong mainstream water transfers and dam building are moving forward faster than the completion of any environmental impact assessments needed to provide the evidence of significant impacts.<\/p>\n

Political will and mitigation measures need to be built within Mekong basin countries to solve integrated water management challenges in the region. Yet, political will to take cooperative action on shared Mekong water issues is impeded by low levels of mutual understanding and a lack of information-sharing at the inter-state and inter-party levels, and the absence of \u00a0available avenues for concerned citizens, especially those directly affected by dam-building and water diversion projects, to raise their voices on issues of national importance.<\/p>\n

The workshop was held by People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature<\/a>) in co-operation with Can Tho University\u2019s Education Faculty, the Swedish Embassy and the Vietnam Environmental Journalists Forum.<\/p>\n

The workshop aims to:<\/em><\/p>\n