Vietnam

In the years in which Vietnam rushed towards the industrial and intensive development of its economy, after the end of the war against the United States, much of the Mekong Delta was reshaped to support large-scale agriculture, promoting industrial cultivation methods aimed at increase rice harvests and transform the nation into an export powerhouse for the well-known cereal.Among the few areas not affected by the development plan was the coastal island of With Chem deemed too small for this purpose.Here, locals were able to continue practicing theirs traditional agricultural methods seemingly out of date.A model which, now that the intensive one is showing its long-term effects, characterized by land impoverishment and pollution, is returning to inspire the country which now aims to return to agricultural practices more based on nature.Once forgotten, the island of With Chem it is therefore now recognized as a guide to a more sustainable agricultural future. Con...

Southeast Asia’s Mekong may be the most important river in the world. Known as the “mother of waters,” it is home to the world’s largest inland fishery, and the huge amounts of sediments it transports feed some of the planet’s most fertile farmlands. Tens of millions of people depend on it for their livelihoods. But how valuable is it in monetary terms? Is it possible to put a dollar value on the multitude of ecosystem services it provides, to help keep those services healthy into the future? That’s what my research colleagues and I are trying to figure out, focusing on two countries that hold the river’s most productive areas for fishing and farming: Cambodia and Vietnam. Understanding the value of a river is essential for good management and decision-making, such as where to develop infrastructure and where to protect nature. This is particularly true of the Mekong, which has come under enormous pressure in recent years from overfishi...