Vietnam’s freshwater obsession leaves decades-long scars for Mekong Delta farmers

Bình Đại, Vietnam — Centuries ago, the Mekong River flowed into the South China Sea via nine expansive estuaries, earning the moniker Cửu Long, meaning "Nine Dragons" in Vietnamese. In the 1960s, a natural process of sand deposition was responsible for the first dragon, the Bassac River, disappearing. Today, human-made structures are suffocating the second dragon, the Ba Lai River.

Over two decades since a sluice gate commenced operation near the Ba Lai River's mouth in southern Vietnam, the river has transformed into a stagnant lake, absorbing pollutants and intensifying coastal erosion. Designed to safeguard the region from salinity, this colossal engineering project has inadvertently created issues and sparked conflicts between local farmers and authorities, leading to semi-open resistance that further destabilizes this climate-vulnerable area.

During a cloudy day in September, shrimp farmer Nguyên in Bình Đại commune, Vĩnh Long province, determines when to harvest his shrimp as he prepares to feed his two ponds. During the rainy season, water pollution poses his primary concern, and an error in timing can lead to the complete destruction of his stock. "This month, the sluice discharges water on the eighth, ninth, 21st, and 22nd, so I will harvest my shrimp on the fifth or sixth," says Nguyên, who prefers to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

He explains that fruit farmers in the freshwater zone utilize large quantities of pesticides and herbicides, which linger in the ground. When it rains, the runoff flows into canals and the river, heavily polluting the ecosystem.