The Mekong Delta—a region forged over thousands of years by the sediment of the Mekong River—is undergoing the most rapid and profound transformation in its natural history. The ecological foundation that once underpinned the region’s prosperity has been steadily eroding, not through sudden catastrophic events, but by silent shifts unfolding over many decades. These changes not only pose significant challenges to agricultural production, local livelihoods, and indigenous culture but also compel a comprehensive re-evaluation of the development mindset applied to the Mekong Delta in recent years. One of the most serious issues is the erosion of soil nutrients—a silent yet continuous process that has depleted once-fertile paddy fields and left them almost entirely dependent on chemical fertilizers. The reduction of alluvium (silt) caused by upstream hydropower dams is only part of the problem; the other part comes from the system of closed dykes and sluice gates that prevents water from entering the fields, thereby blocking the natural yearly cycle of silt deposition. This represents the most fundamental loss because the depletion of soil nutrients means the disappearance of the very foundation of agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Beyond the decline of physical resources, indigenous knowledge—the “folk wisdom” […]
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