Adaptive agricultural transitions to droughts and salinity intrusion in the Mekong delta: Policy issues

Abstract

This study aims to determine major issues of policies and policy implementation to facilitate enablers and remove constraints of agricultural transition by farmers to adapt to droughts and salinity intrusion in the fresh–brackish water inter-facing zone in the Mekong delta. Results show that farmers shifted rice and sugarcane to fruits (freshwater) or shrimp (brackish or saline water). Resource-richer farmers tended to gradually intensify fruit or shrimp production for increased farm income, which would cause potential economic risks from disease outbreaks or unstable market prices of farm products. The poor capacity of farmers for farm management, financial resources, and information access are considered important constraints for adaptive agriculture production in the future. Thus, synchronous implementation of specialised policies at the local level through an economic sector approach through coordination between the management sector and localities is necessary.