THE INVOLVED INSTITUTIONS

Can Tho University (CTU)

Can Tho University (CTU) in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta focuses on education and research concerning the resilience of delta communities facing climate change. CTU’s Research Institute for Climate Change, known as DRAGON-Mekong Institute, aims to become an internationally recognized center for climate change research. They collaborate with universities, government bodies, NGOs, and donors to enhance the delta’s ecosystem and sustainable production. CTU offers education, research, and support for aquaculture, including shrimp production, vital for the region economically and nutritionally. They seek to develop ecologically sustainable systems, emphasizing social and environmental considerations. CTU aims to raise awareness and involve stakeholders to restore damaged ecosystems, positioning itself as a regional knowledge hub on the food-water nexus through this TMT initiative.

The DRAGON-Mekong Institute

Background & problem: Shrimp farming and ecology in Vietnam

The Vietnamese government is prioritizing sustainable aquaculture development in the Mekong Delta over rice cultivation, aligning with Resolution 120. Despite the significant economic success of seafood exports, particularly shrimp, valued at $11 billion in 2022, environmental challenges persist. International certifications such as BAP, Global Gap, and ASC have improved sustainability but issues like nutrient release and chemical use persist. Anticipated growth in shrimp exports to $12 billion by 2032 raises concerns about ecological degradation and social consequences. Shrimp farming has historically damaged mangrove forests, causing biodiversity loss and water quality decline, which, in recent years, has negatively impacted shrimp production through disease outbreaks and reduced growth.

TRAINING NEEDS AND OBJECTIVE

The TMT aims to include mangrove restoration in shrimp farming to turn the aquaculture activity in a nature positive, integrated production system. As it happens, mangroves are considered places storing huge quantities of CO2: after deforestation, CO2 is released, but this can be
restored by mangrove rehabilitation. Mangrove areas are also important in avoiding land subsidence and as flood protection for local communities in coastal areas. Furthermore, mangrove forests are essential in improving water quality and biodiversity in the soil, in the water and on-land. These interactions and the synergies are hardly valued by the Vietnamese government and even less by the farmers due to lack of information and training. This TMT will train the people to valorise not only the business aspect of integrated shrimp farming, but also the ecological and social aspects.

The project aims to:

• Learn how to analyse and compare the cost-benefits of different types of (shrimp) production systems including financial, ecological and social aspects
• Identify and monitor present challenges of shrimp farming with the restoration of mangroves and mapping of priority areas
• Develop materials to enhance local awareness of ecological-economic-social characteristics of shrimp production in combination with ecological restoration
• Learn how to involve all stakeholders and increase awareness, acceptance and support for sustainable shrimp farming in combination with mangrove ecosystem restoration
• Create efficiency in improving both food production and water resource management, and how to prepare for long-term resilient healthy natural ecosystems.

This translates into three training packages:

1. 1. Sustainability and explain the concept of externalized costs.

   Participants will work with examples from their own environment to experience what it means to move from linear to circular thinking. It is important that all participants have common understanding of systems change, the interactions and potential synergies. A long-term vision is discussed. During this session, different cultivation systems will be discussed. We review monoculture and alternative polyculture practices that potentially could work in the Mekong Delta such as shrimp culture with or without mangrove restoration (inside and outside the pond area) and shrimp culture in recirculated aquaculture systems (RAS). Besides, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), aquaponics, integrated agriculture/aquaculture and agro- & aqua-ecological systems, permaculture principles and syntropic aquaculture are discuss. We will consider interactions of species, nutrient cycles and synergies. We will use examples of species compatibility (species that can live in the same environment without detrimental interactions) and complementarity (complementary use of available resources or mutualism) to create synergies and increase health and productivity in the Mekong Delta.

   2. Holistic cost-benefit analysis.

   The different (production) systems discussed during the first session will be further elaborated. The success and challenges of nature-inclusive production systems will be discussed further.

   In addition to financial aspects, ecological and social costs and benefits will be analyzed and evaluated. We will work out 2 case studies that apply for shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta. For this, we will make use of different international standards as guideline. Ultimately, a new (simplified) model is created for a different system, specific for the selected area in the Mekong Delta.

   3. Fine-tune the revenue models, stakeholder meeting

   Stakeholders are invited to discuss the model and have it assessed. Their input is used to evaluate the revenue model. These results can be used to develop dissemination materials for awareness raising of the wider public, including farmers, exporters, citizens, consumers, research, education, NGOs, national and local governments, Dutch agro-businesses active in Vietnam and industry. The material will be in Vietnamese for local governments and other interested parties and in English to share on social media. During this last session, we will also investigate which possible funding opportunities exist to set up a project with extensive shrimp (and other seafood) production in combination with ecosystem restoration. If possible, we will use tools such as remote sensing to select a proper test. There will be many stakeholders involved and those are always time-consuming processes.

RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

This training is linked to the priority areas; Food and Nutrition Security, Water management and climate change, as the general aim of the TMT project is to enhance the development of nature-positive, ecologically sustainable, aquaculture production systems. More specifically, this TMT links climate change to biodiversity loss through the relationship between shrimp production and mangrove restoration (food water nexus) Additionally, the partnership between Dutch and Vietnamese education institutes, knowledge providers and sustainable trade are strengthened. together we will work towards a long-term socio[1]ecological approach in the food-water nexus

CLIENT:

Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic, as part of the Orange Knowledge Programme, project number OKP–TMT 23-00102.

REQUESTING PARTY AND PARTNERS:

• Can Tho University
• DRAGON-Mekong Institute
• College of Environmental and Natural Resources Vietnam

CONSORTIUM PARTNERS Q-POINT

• Sustainable Aquaculture Solutions (SAS)
• NL TU Twente, ITC (Faculty of Geo Information Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente)
• Shells & Valves, (UGent), Belgium

DURATION

July 2023 tot june 2024