{"id":2941,"date":"2026-11-12T12:39:45","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T12:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/12\/unicorn778-vietnams-freshwater-obsession-leaves-decades-long-scars-for-mekong-delta-farmers-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T12:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T12:39:45","slug":"unicorn778-vietnams-freshwater-obsession-leaves-decades-long-scars-for-mekong-delta-farmers-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/12\/unicorn778-vietnams-freshwater-obsession-leaves-decades-long-scars-for-mekong-delta-farmers-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Vietnam\u2019s freshwater obsession leaves decades-long scars for Mekong Delta farmers Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-335735\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>The Ba Lai sluice was built to convert the Ba Lai River into a year-round freshwater reservoir for rice cultivation in B\u1ebfn Tre province, Vietnam.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>After more than 20 years in operation, the sluice has severed the river\u2019s dynamic brackish ecosystem, caused serious pollution and worsened downstream erosion, and saline intrusion remains rampant.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Facing low income from rice, farmers in the freshwater zone have drilled illegal saltwater wells to access saline water for unapproved shrimp ponds, prompting crackdowns by local authorities.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>A policy shift calls for treating saline water as an economic resource, but legacy mindsets centered on hard infrastructure persist.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>B\u00ccNH \u0110\u1ea0I, Vietnam \u2014 For centuries, the Mekong River emptied into the South China Sea through nine vast estuaries, earning it the name <em>C\u1eedu Long<\/em>, Vietnamese for \u201cNine Dragons.\u201d\u00a0In the 1960s, natural deposition of sand swallowed the first dragon, the Bassac River. Now, human-made infrastructure is choking the second, the Ba Lai River.<\/p>\n<p>More than two decades after a sluice gate began operating near the mouth of the Ba Lai River in southern Vietnam, the river has turned into a stagnant lake, trapping pollutants and accelerating coastal erosion.<\/p>\n<p>Intended to protect the region from salinity, the megastructure has created problems and triggered conflicts between local farmers and authorities, sparking semi-open resistance that further destabilizes this already <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/05\/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">climate-vulnerable area<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On a cloudy day in September, Nguy\u00ean, a shrimp farmer in B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i commune in V\u0129nh Long province, calculates when he should harvest his shrimp as he prepares to feed his two ponds. During the rainy season, water pollution is his primary concern, and a miscalculation can wipe out his entire stock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis month, the sluice discharges water on the eighth, ninth, 21st, and 22nd, so I will harvest my shrimp on the fifth or sixth,\u201d says Nguy\u00ean, which is not his real name. He asks to use a pseudonym due to the sensitive nature of the issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFruit farmers in the freshwater zone use tons of pesticides and herbicides,\u201d Nguy\u00ean tells Mongabay. \u201cThe chemicals linger on the ground. When it rains, the runoff flows into canals and the river, heavily contaminating the water with accumulated toxins.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335737\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp.jpg\" alt=\"Nguy\u00ean, the shrimp farmer in B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i commune in V\u0129nh Long province, checks his shrimps.\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12083438\/Nguyen-checks-his-shrimp-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nguy\u00ean, the shrimp farmer in B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i commune in V\u0129nh Long province, checks his shrimps. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Ba Lai sluice gate, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/226894135_Operation_of_the_Ba_Lai_irrigation_system_in_the_Mekong_Delta_Vietnam\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">began operating in 2002<\/a>, was built to prevent saltwater infiltration and retain freshwater for rice farmers in the upper course of the river. It was to convert the Ba Lai River into a year-round freshwater reservoir for B\u1ebfn Tre City and four surrounding districts \u2014 Ch\u00e2u Th\u00e0nh, B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i, Gi\u1ed3ng Tr\u00f4m and Ba Tri \u2014 shielding them from marine tides.<\/p>\n<p>The infrastructure, which cost 67 billion dong ($4.38 million in <a href=\"https:\/\/fred.stlouisfed.org\/data\/FXRATEVNA618NUPN\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2002<\/a>), was supposed to supply freshwater to 193,000 hectares (477,000 acres) of land, including 100,000 hectares (247,100 acres) for upstream and midstream farms and 20,000 hectares (49,400 acres) for downstream aquaculture.<\/p>\n<p>Following B\u1ebfn Tre province\u2019s merger into V\u0129nh Long province in 2025, B\u1ebfn Tre City and the four districts changed administrative status and became wards and communes. Many residents still call the area B\u1ebfn Tre, however, and the effects of the sluice gate linger.<\/p>\n<p>The sluice dam is a legacy of Vietnam\u2019s post-1975 irrigation policy, which sought to transform land across the country into multi-crop rice fields to secure national food security, says Nguy\u1ec5n H\u1eefu Thi\u1ec7n, an independent ecologist specializing in the Mekong Delta.<\/p>\n<p>Under this \u201crice first\u201d doctrine, saline water was \u201cautomatically considered an enemy,\u201d Thi\u1ec7n tells Mongabay. For decades, Vietnam heavily invested in irrigation infrastructure to block saltwater and lock in freshwater for rice cultivation.<\/p>\n<p>On paper, the project appears successful. According to data from state-owned B\u1ebfn Tre Irrigation Works Exploitation Co. Ltd., the dam cuts annual saline intrusion duration by a third and halves salinity levels. It also enables three rice harvests annually, supports crop cultivation and supplies domestic water for residents.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, on the ground, it is a different story.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335743\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335743\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice.jpg\" alt=\"The Ba Lai sluice gate\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084343\/Ba-Lai-sluice-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ba Lai sluice gate, which began operating in 2002, was built to prevent saltwater infiltration and retain freshwater for rice farmers in the upper course of the river. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-335747\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Map: Ba Lai sluice\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085117\/82_BaiLaiSuice_07-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Killing another dragon<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Because the sluice gate is closed most of the time, the Ba Lai River functions more like a lake. The gate traps toxins, fertilizers, weeds and domestic waste from upstream, causing severe organic pollution and <a href=\"https:\/\/oceanservice.noaa.gov\/facts\/eutrophication.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">eutrophication<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>During the early years of operation, vegetation died as the sluice gate changed the river\u2019s brackish ecosystem to a freshwater one, Thi\u1ec7n says.<\/p>\n<p>Scientific research also documents biodiversity shifts: After the dam\u2019s construction, the number of threatened fish species <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352485525006607\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">rose<\/a> from one to six.<\/p>\n<p>Downstream farmers like Nguy\u00ean have seen their shrimp and blood cockle (<em>Tegillarca granosa<\/em>) ponds at risk. Once abundant, the blood cockle ponds have nearly disappeared, Thi\u1ec7n says.<\/p>\n<p>The dam fails to protect B\u1ebfn Tre from saltwater intrusion. With the Ba Lai River blocked, sea tides travel up the nearby M\u1ef9 Tho and H\u00e0m Lu\u00f4ng rivers, causing saltwater to enter the freshwater area in Gi\u1ed3ng Tr\u00f4m district through the 2.7-km (1.7-mile) Giao H\u00f2a channel.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335740\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335740\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal.jpg\" alt=\"When it rains, the runoff flows into canals and the river, heavily contaminating the water with accumulated toxins.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084329\/Polluted-canal-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">When it rains, the runoff flows into canals and the river, heavily contaminating the water with accumulated toxins. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Severe saltwater intrusion has destroyed pomelo (<em>Citrus maxim<\/em>a) orchards, forcing cooperatives selling Gi\u1ed3ng Tr\u00f4m\u2019s most renowned fruit to close or farmers to switch to growing coconuts or other crops, Thi\u1ec7n said.<\/p>\n<p>Others, like Nguy\u00ean\u2019s aunt, have built protective barriers for her pomelo orchards, the shrimp farmer says.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, tidal waves hitting the sluice have intensified coastal erosion \u2014 and because the Ba Lai River\u2019s current is very weak, sediment sinks to the bottom rather than replenishing eroded sand and mud, choking its mouth. The result is a river slowly approaching its death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have killed another dragon, so the Mekong is now the \u2018Seven Dragon River,\u2019\u201d says ecologist Thi\u1ec7n.<\/p>\n<p>L\u00ea Anh Tu\u1ea5n, senior lecturer at the College of Environment and Natural Resources at C\u1ea7n Th\u01a1 University in Vietnam, says B\u1ebfn Tre authorities had spent approximately 900 billion dong ($35.3 million) on dredging to combat sedimentation, over 13 times the dam\u2019s original construction cost.<\/p>\n<p>Nguy\u00ean previously grew watermelons in Ba Tri, earning only 30 million to 40 million dong ($1,175-$1,570 in <a href=\"https:\/\/fred.stlouisfed.org\/data\/FXRATEVNA618NUPN\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2010<\/a>) a year. Around 15 years ago, he moved to B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i and rented land downstream to farm shrimp, earning much more. \u201cA successful harvest can earn me hundreds of millions of dong,\u201d Nguy\u00ean says.<\/p>\n<p>Upstream farmers who cannot relocate like Nguy\u00ean have another strategy to survive.<\/p>\n<p>Taking advantage of B\u1ebfn Tre\u2019s unique estuarine hydrology, they drill wells to tap into saline groundwater sources to make \u201csecret\u201d shrimp ponds in the freshwater area, both upstream and midstream of the Ba Lai sluice, which violates the government\u2019s designated land use policy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey use drilling rigs to sink pipes into the ground, usually 50-100 meters deep, to tap into a saltwater vein,\u201d Nguy\u00ean says. \u201cThey test the water for acidity, toxic gases, or impurities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf any of these are present, they drill deeper, testing every 3 to 5 meters until the water is clean. They then install the pumping system that will pump out saltwater at the flip of a switch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wells are carefully camouflaged using different techniques, he adds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335739\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335739\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest.jpg\" alt=\"Nguy\u00ean calculates when he should harvest his shrimp as he prepares to feed his two ponds.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084324\/Nguyen-calculates-the-harvest-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nguy\u00ean calculates when he should harvest his shrimp as he prepares to feed his two ponds. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335741\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335741\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field.jpg\" alt=\"The sluice dam is a legacy of Vietnam\u2019s post-1975 irrigation policy, which sought to transform land across the country into multi-crop rice fields to secure national food security\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084334\/Rice-field-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sluice dam is a legacy of Vietnam\u2019s post-1975 irrigation policy, which sought to transform land across the country into multi-crop rice fields to secure national food security. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nguy\u00ean says his uncle in B\u1ebfn Tre ward hides his well under the floor of his farm hut. \u201cHe places a sleeping bed over it,\u201d the shrimp farmer says. \u201cWhenever authorities come around, he pulls out the pipe and stows everything away, so nothing is left in sight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to local <a href=\"https:\/\/thuysanvietnam.com.vn\/can-cham-dut-tinh-trang-nuoi-tom-bien-trong-vung-ngot-hoa\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">media<\/a>, in 2020, there were around 540 hectares (1,335 acres) of illegal shrimp ponds built by 1,500 households in the designated freshwater area in B\u00ecnh \u0110\u1ea1i. Farmers raised whiteleg shrimp (<em>Penaeus vannamei<\/em>), which require low salinity levels, and <a href=\"https:\/\/bnews.vn\/gia-tom-tang-cao-tu-20-000-30-000-dong-kg\/180449.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">earned<\/a> 170,000 to 185,000 dong ($6.48-$7.16 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exchange-rates.org\/exchange-rate-history\/vnd-usd-2020\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2020<\/a>) per kilogram. In the same year, rice was <a href=\"https:\/\/dansinh.dantri.com.vn\/dien-dan-dan-sinh\/bo-tai-chinh-cong-bo-gia-thanh-lua-vu-he-thu-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-giam-169-dongkg-20200520145856633.htm\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">sold<\/a> for only 4,983 dong ($0.19) per kg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRice prices have remained virtually unchanged for the past 15 years, while the costs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor have all risen,\u201d senior lecturer Tu\u1ea5n says. \u201cRice farmers are perpetually poor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, more and more farmers have turned their back on rice. B\u1ebfn Tre\u2019s rice-planted area and production, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nso.gov.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/04.-Nong-nghiep-1.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">already<\/a> the smallest and lowest among the Mekong Delta provinces, continued their downward trend after the sluice began operation in 2002. By 2024, B\u1ebfn Tre\u2019s rice-growing area had shrunk to one-seventh of the 2002 level, while output had dropped to roughly one-sixth, according to the National Statistics Office of Vietnam.<\/p>\n<p>Many current rice farmers in the freshwater area were once shrimp producers or practiced integrated rice-shrimp farming. After the sluice opened, they were forced to plant rice without financial assistance or support from local authorities to compensate for their substantially reduced income, according to a university researcher in the Mekong Delta, who asks to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue.<\/p>\n<p>Ecologist Thi\u1ec7n notes that historically, consultation with local communities was rarely ever part of the policymaking process, resulting in policies that often overrode their lives and livelihoods.<\/p>\n<p>V\u0129nh Long province\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Environment didn\u2019t respond to Mongabay\u2019s request for comment by the time of publication.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-335748\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Graph: Rice planted\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085133\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RicePlanted-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-scaled.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-335749\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Graph: Rice produced\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12085147\/82_BaLaiSluice_06_RiceProd-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Subtle resistance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>With little power to push back against the top-down policy, some farmers have engaged in what some scholars <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/23251042.2024.2323601#d1e168\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">call<\/a> \u201csubtle, non-confrontational resistance,\u201d such as digging illegal saltwater wells, despite land subsidence risks, and building secret shrimp ponds.<\/p>\n<p>In response, authorities have deployed patrol units to search for illicit wells. Farmers who were caught were fined, made to sign pledges not to reoffend and had their wells sealed with cement. Authorities also issued warnings that local agrarian policies did not cover \u201cunapproved\u201d shrimp farming, so farmers won\u2019t get compensation if shrimp die-offs or significant stock depletion occur, the university researcher says.<\/p>\n<p>The crackdowns and threats appear to have worked. Nguy\u00ean says that some farmers abandoned their wells. Some cultivate coconuts, the crop B\u1ebfn Tre is famous for, while others grow freshwater crops.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut they are dead poor now,\u201d Nguy\u00ean says of the last group. Meanwhile, \u201cthose who keep resisting are pretty well-off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the government has never publicly acknowledged the shortcomings of the sluice, there has been a policy shift.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_335742\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-335742\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut.jpg\" alt=\"Severe saltwater intrusion has destroyed pomelo orchards, forcing cooperatives selling Gi\u1ed3ng Tr\u00f4m\u2019s most renowned fruit to close or farmers to switch to growing coconuts or other crops\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/11\/12084339\/Rice-gives-way-to-coconut-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Severe saltwater intrusion has destroyed pomelo orchards, forcing cooperatives selling Gi\u1ed3ng Tr\u00f4m\u2019s most renowned fruit to close or farmers to switch to growing coconuts or other crops. In this picture, rice gives way to coconuts. Image by Nguyen Tra My for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/datafiles.chinhphu.vn\/cpp\/files\/vbpq\/2017\/12\/120.signed.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Resolution 120<\/a>, issued in 2017, is a landmark government policy that emphasizes sustainable development of the Mekong Delta. It recognizes saline water as an economic resource and warns against heavy-handed interference in nature. Local strategies now pivot toward aquaculture as a core priority, aiming to reduce water-intensive, low-value rice cultivation.<\/p>\n<p>Legacy mindsets persist, however. A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/nongnghiepmoitruong.vn\/y-tuong-bien-song-mang-thit-thanh-sieu-ho-chua-nuoc-chien-luoc-d776797.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">proposal<\/a> to turn the M\u0103ng Th\u00edt River in V\u0129nh Long province into a \u201cstrategic \u2018super reservoir\u2019\u201d to secure its freshwater supply has been submitted to the province\u2019s Department of Science and Technology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to be very careful when investing in such significant infrastructure in a sensitive area like the Mekong Delta,\u201d senior lecturer Tu\u1ea5n says. \u201cIn the future, we may wish that we never built it, but we are stuck with it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> A man working separating coconuts from their skin in B\u1ebfn Tre province. Image by Antonio Cinotti via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/antoncino\/17196457289\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4kHzhGVDee\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/05\/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">The world\u2019s great deltas are sinking \u2014 and with them, a global food system<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cThe world\u2019s great deltas are sinking \u2014 and with them, a global food system\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/05\/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system\/embed\/#?secret=m9h6iFdUiB#?secret=4kHzhGVDee\" data-secret=\"4kHzhGVDee\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Citations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hoang, Q. H., Kubo, N., Hoang, N. G., &amp; Tanji, H. (2009). Operation of the Ba Lai irrigation system in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. <em>Paddy and Water Environment<\/em>, 7(2), 123-133. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10333-009-0155-0\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1007\/s10333-009-0155-0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nguyen, D. X., Ngo, X. Q., Nguyen, T. M. Y., Tran, T. T., Tran, T. H. Y., &amp; Pham, T. L. (2025). Change in fish composition and their distribution after twenty years of the Ba Lai Dam construction in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam. <em>Regional Studies in Marine Science<\/em>, <em>93<\/em>, 104669. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.rsma.2025.104669\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1016\/j.rsma.2025.104669<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tran, T. A., &amp; Pittock, J. (2024). When water policies derail livelihood aspirations: farmers\u2019 agency in everyday politics in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. <em>Environmental Sociology, 10<\/em>(3), 267\u2013278. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/23251042.2024.2323601\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1080\/23251042.2024.2323601<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Nguyen Tra My (2026). Vietnam\u2019s freshwater obsession leaves decades-long scars for Mekong Delta farmers. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-335735\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-335735<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebebfd06926a49aa777d097c555e9c92e9903fa78dfa3c0854ae574beae23139?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebebfd06926a49aa777d097c555e9c92e9903fa78dfa3c0854ae574beae23139?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; The Ba Lai sluice was built to convert the Ba Lai River into a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,6100,6102,1546,842,3344,4073,6099,14,9,11,6101,13,10,2,54],"class_list":["post-2941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-decadeslong","tag-delta","tag-farmers","tag-freshwater","tag-leaves","tag-mekong","tag-obsession","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-saat","tag-scars","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778","tag-vietnams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}