Mekong Subsistance Peoples of Vietnam
The Mekong basin in Vietnam comprises of 29% of the nations total land area. Often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam, the delta is one of the most productive agricultural regions on earth. Around 20 million people live within the basin in Vietnam representing Viet, Khmer, Mon and Cham ethnic groups. Although remarkable economic growth has occurred in the region in recent years, over 4 million people in the delta are currently living below the poverty line and an even greater number live only marginally above it.
There is great concern over upstream development and the resultant impacts on the Delta. As more Mekong mainstream dams come on line over the coming years a range of environmental and related social problems are expected to result including fisheries decline, reduced soil fertility and disrupted wetland habitats. In order to ensure that the subsistence people of the delta are not pushed into greater poverty as a result of the dams it is important that increased grass roots food security and poverty alleviation initiatives are undertaken in the region.
