ARE VIETNAM'S DELTAS DYING?

摘要

Vietnam has two major river deltas, the Mekong and Red rivers, both of which are under threat from the twin impacts of sea level rise and reduced sediment deposition. China has already dammed the upstream Mekong river, while at least 10 dams are underplanning and one under construction on the main channel in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. Together with around 100 dams planned on tributaries, based on current designs these may drastically reduce the sediment volume reaching the Mekong delta. This alone would increase the rate of river bank and coastal erosion. However, combined with possible sea level rise of up to 1 metre or more, the outcome is likely to prove overwhelming.