Mekong River Basin

Environmental Security

The environmental and closely related water and food security of Vietnam, partner country of the Dutch Development Cooperation, is highly dependent upon the management of the Mekong river basin as a whole.

Lying at the mouth of the Mekong with the densely populated delta as the main area of rice production and of fisheries, the impact of upstream development on the river and its tributaries upon the quantity, quality and variability of the water Vietnam receives and upon the migratory fish species, are of great concern.

Building upon the experiences of the previous case-studies in Kalimantan, Indonesia, the Great Lakes region in Africa, the Metaven forest in Colombia and in the DRC, the study focuses on delta particular eco-region in Vietnam, but within the context of the larger Mekong River Basin.

Using the satellite data of JAXSA, deforestation and infrastructure development will be monitored and mapped, and analysed with respect to their impact on the ecology and food security of the delta. The situation will also be interpreted in terms of applicable international (environmental) law and the relevant institutional setting. Recommendations on how to achieve sustainable solutions will be formulated in close consultation with local stakeholders and donor agencies.

IES Activities

The IES and its partners are currently in the initial phase of preparing an EnviroSecurity Assessment on this region. Within the Environmental Security for Poverty Alleviation programme, the IES seeks to develop:

• an EnviroSecurity Assessment report;
• an Interactive Map Viewer for the Mekong River Basin;
• a set of policy recommendations, aimed at promoting environmental security and poverty alleviation in the Mekong River Basin;
• a Case Study Poster.

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