Mekong Delta Regional Impacts
Environmental Situation
Cultural Vietnam
Mekong Delta
Georgia
87,263,000
17,695,000
9,829,211
Solid Waste - lack of solid waste management. Significant numbers of people living along rivers dispose of solid waste directly into the river (Huynh, 2010).
Cat Fish Farm Sludge – 33-40% of family-scale fish and shrimp farms dump confined fish farm sludge directly into rivers. Tien Giang, Hau Giang, and local canals in An Giang Provence have been found to be contaminated from organic waste (Khanh & Ngoc, 2010). Environmental impacts of intensive aquaculture compare to that of direct sewage discharge and industrial discharge in the delta, causing eutrophication and oxygen depletion (Da, Phillips, & Lan, 2010).
Delta water quality – high turbidity, coliform and N-NH3 (ammoniacal nitrogen) concentration (Few, et al., 2009) 30% of rural population does not have adequate waste water sanitation (PRB, 2010)
Drinking Water – during annual flooding there is insufficient clean drinking water (Few, et al., 2009; Sy, 2010)
Population Population Density/km2 Land Area (km2)
Physical
263
436
87
329,560
40,605
149,976
The population density of the đồng bằng sông Cửu Long (Mekong Delta) is five times that of Georgia, but 1.5 times less than that of Savannah. However, the Delta’s population is heavily concentrated along higher elevation areas, typically along major roads. Much of the Delta has been engineered over the last 9,000 years to consist primarily of flood control canals, channels, and dikes, with roads running along the tops of the dikes.
Topography •Mean elevation ~12 feet above sea level (~3.7 m) •Isolated hills of granite, occasional limestone with tallest at 2,330 ft. (710 m) •Major landforms – (a) floodplain, (b) coastal complex, and (c) broad depressions •Drainage varies by location (indicated by yellow arrows top right) with the northeast depression flooding annually and draining slowly. The Ha Tien Plain drains eastward. Coastal complex alternates between annual flood/dry cycle.
Climate •Tropical, strong monsoonal climate with annual precipitation ranging from 60-80 in. (150 – 200 cm) with up to 92” (235 cm) annually in the SW delta. •Dry season: December – March. Wet season: May – November with heaviest rainfall in September. •Temperatures range from coldest of 68ºF (20ºC) in January to 95ºF (35ºC) in April.
Global Warming/Sea Level Rise – Economic loses from 1% 7% of agricultural GDP are expected due to sea level rise across SE Asia (Nguyen, 2008). 1 m (3.2 ft) rise in sea level would adversely impact 10.8% of Vietnam’s population, 28% of its wetlands, and 10% of its GDP. 5 m (16 ft) rise in sea level would impact 35% of Vietnam’s population, 89% of its wetlands, and over 35% of its GDP (Dasgupta, et al., 2007).
Hydrology •Mekong River originates in the Tibetan Himalayas 2,700 miles (4350 km) away and winds through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia before entering Vietnam. •River splits in the delta to the Tien Giang & Hau Giang. •Peak flow is 2 million ft3/sec (56,800 m3/sec), 48 times the minimum flow. Greatest seasonal flow change of any of the world’s great rivers. •Low flow – saltwater infiltrates and floods 1/3 of the delta. High flow – much of the delta (up to 4,600 mi2/12,000 km2) is flooded up to 10 ft (3m) for 4 to 5 months. (Sterling, Hurley, & Minh, 2006).
References Da, C. T., Phillips, K., & Lan, T. H. P. (2010). Environmental issues and opportunities for higher education related to water resource use by striped catfish (Pangasuis hypopthalamus) farming in the Mekong Delta area, Vietnam. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Awareness of the Need for Environmental Protection: A Role for Higher Education, July 21-23, Hoa Sen University, Ho Chi Minh City and An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam, pp. 524-533. Dasgupta, S., Laplante, B., Meisner, C., Wheeler, D., & Yan, J. (2007). The impact of sea level rise on developing countries: A comparative analysis. Washington DC: World Bank. Enotes. (2010). Mekong delta. Retrieved June 29, 2010, from http://www.enotes.com/topic/Mekong_Delta Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2006). FAOSTAT data: Agriculture and food trade. Retrieved from http://www.faostat.fao.org Few, R., Lake, I., Hunter, P. R., Tran, P. G., & Thien, V. T. (2009). Seasonal hazards and health risks in lower-income countries: Field testing a multidisciplinary approach. Environmental Health 8, 1-5. doi:10.1186/1476-069X8-S1-S16 Huynh, D. T. V. (2010). Solutions to improve capacity of solid waste management in rural areas, An Giang Province. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Awareness of the Need for Environmental Protection: A Role for Higher Education, July 21-23, Hoa Sen University, Ho Chi Minh City and An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam, pp. 468469. Khanh, P. T., & Ngoc, T. T. H. (2010). Development orientation and environmental issues in aquaculture, An Giang Province. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Awareness of the Need for Environmental Protection: A Role for Higher Education, July 21-23, Hoa Sen University, Ho Chi Minh City and An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam, p. 478. Nguyen, S. T. (2008). Determinants of land-use change: A case study from the lower Mekong delta of southern Vietnam. Electronic Green Journal, 1(27), 112. Population Reference Bureau (PRB). (2010). 2010 World population data sheet. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2010/2010wpds.aspx Sterling, E. J., Hurley, M. M., & Minh, L. D. (2006). Vietnam: A natural history. London: Yale University. Sy, P. C. (2010). Information-education-communication measures for dissemination of appropriate models of clean water supply and environmental sanitation in the Mekong Delta. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Awareness of the Need for Environmental Protection: A Role for Higher Education, July 21-23, 2010, Hoa Sen University, Ho Chi Minh City and An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam, p. 235. U. S. Census Bureau. (2000). Population finder: Georgia. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov Scott L. Walker, ScEdD is an Asst. Prof. of Geography, Geography Program Coordinator, and International Programs Coordinator at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, TX.
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