Mekong Delta restructures rice production to ease water resource pressure

In recent years, the Mekong Delta has faced unprecedented fluctuations, such as surface water resources becoming increasingly dependent on and highly variable with upstream flows, overexploitation of groundwater, and saltwater intrusion no longer following previous patterns, penetrating deeper inland, lasting longer, and becoming more difficult to predict.

In response to these challenges, the Can Tho City People's Committee, in collaboration with Tien Phong Newspaper, held the workshop "Water Security in the Mekong Delta under Climate Change" on March 22. At the workshop, experts put forward a range of forecasts and solutions to address the issue.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Scientific Advisor at the Mekong Institute (Can Tho University), said that water security in the Mekong Delta is currently facing at least seven major challenges, including three external factors and four internal issues. Among these, internal challenges are exerting significant pressure, notably the overexploitation of groundwater for production, water pollution caused by the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, and the very low efficiency of water use.

Citing data from the World Bank, the expert noted that each cubic meter of water in Viet Nam generates only about USD 2.37 in value, while the global average level is USD 19.12. According to statistics from the Department of Water Resources Management (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), the total volume of water extracted across the Mekong Delta is approximately 32.25 billion m³/year. Of this, 31.54 billion m³/year (nearly 98%) is used for agricultural production and aquaculture, while water for domestic use accounts for only about 0.57 billion m³/year, and industrial use accounts for 0.13 billion m³/year.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Tuan, the main reason for the excessive water use is rice production. He explained that producing 1 ton of rice requires 4,000–5,000 m³ of water, meaning "exporting water" through rice grains. Meanwhile, the economic value of this commodity remains low, preventing improvements in farmers' incomes. Ultimately, changes in land-use purposes are also negatively impacting water resources in the region.

Therefore, many experts suggest the Mekong Delta promptly adjust its water-use strategy toward greater sustainability. One question raised is whether to continue maintaining 3-crop rice production and closed dyke systems in areas such as Long Xuyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi. Excessive flood control reduces natural water storage capacity and increases the risk of urban flooding.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Phu Quynh, Deputy Director of the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, noted that rice production is currently the primary livelihood for local communities. Exporting this resource currently generates relatively low value; however, it is an unavoidable reality during the transitional phase of restructuring production models.

In practice, current policies no longer prioritize rice production but are gradually shifting toward more efficient sectors such as seafood and fruit. Nevertheless, this transition remains largely dependent on markets rather than production places.

Mr. Vu Viet Hung, Deputy Director General of the Department of Hydraulic Works Management and Construction (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), proposed that changes in infrastructure and technology must go hand in hand with a strong shift in management mindset, from pure agricultural production to agricultural economic thinking.

Under this approach, local authorities are required to restructure production based on the specific characteristics of each ecological sub-region and proactively transform production models, crops, and livestock in line with the capacity of water resources, rather than attempting to resist natural laws.

Regarding policies to ensure water security, Mr. Nguyen Minh Khuyen, Deputy Director General of the Department of Water Resources Management (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), stated that the Law on Water Resources 2023 stipulates that water resources must be managed in an integrated manner, with ensuring water security for domestic use as the top priority. Water allocation must be aligned with overall planning to ensure balanced and reasonable distribution of water resources among sectors and regions.

The policy also clearly stipulates maintaining minimum flows in rivers, controlling groundwater exploitation thresholds, establishing water protection corridors, and monitoring extraction activities.

For surface water, the primary source supplying water for domestic use and economic sectors, the key solution is to effectively exploit water from the Tien River, Hau River, Co Chien River, and Ham Luong River, while strengthening water storage and freshwater retention.

It is necessary to develop appropriately scaled reservoirs and complete irrigation infrastructure systems. For groundwater, the requirement is rational exploitation, prioritizing domestic water supply and limiting widespread extraction for production.