Shrimp Climate Action

We build sustainable future for shrimp farming in the Mekong

SHRIMP FARMING: A VITAL ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Shrimp farming is the most predominant activity in aquaculture sector in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), generating a total production of 784 thousand tons and the total export value of about 3 billion US dollars. In effect, the VMD shares over 83% of the national shrimp production. The total shrimp export value of the whole country in 2010 was about 2.1 billion USD and reached nearly 3.7 billion USD in 2019. In the period 2010–2020, Vietnam’s shrimp industry had a significant growth rate (nearly 60%) in the total export value.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM SHRIMP FARMING

After entering the flowing freshwater bodies, pollutants from shrimp farms are converted to greenhouse gases (GHGs) by microorganisms. Research indicated the impact of shrimp farming effluent that doubled emission rates of CO2 and N2O from coastal mangrove ecosystems. It is also estimated that shrimp industries accounted for around 21% of the total emissions from global aquaculture.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SHRIMP FARMING

VMD is one of the three deltas in the world most affected by climate change. It is estimated that 38.9% of the entire VMD will be inundated in the most severe context of 100 cm sea level rise. This seriously threatens the livelihoods of nearly 18 million people, especially the minority group, including Khmer people and low-income households whose living circumstances are strongly dependent on shrimp farming and the Mekong River.

Multidisciplinary Project

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Climate change education

To investigate the impacts of intensive shrimp farming on water pollution and GHG emissions in the VMD in the changing climate and create an early warning system to detect and remedy water pollution from shrimp farms through a citizen science project. This specific academic objective will generate crucial research findings that form the foundation of project knowledge base and a sense of local ownership and responsibility for environmental sustainability.

To advance higher education and engage with local stakeholders on this critical topic via Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), socioeconomic study, and local workshops. The specific developmental objective equips a broad range of stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to foster sustainable farming practices.