Salinity intrusion not only impacts farming but also freshwater supply for households. In Rach Gia city in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, urban residents are being affected as saltwater has contaminated ponds and wells, and freshwater supplies are becoming scarce. The poorer residents are bearing the brunt of the freshwater shortages.
As drought affects Cambodia’s rice farmers, can building more small-scale reservoirs help?
Since 2016, farmers in Cambodia’s Battambang province have been facing severe drought that has resulted in decline in rice production, deaths of livestock, and loss of livelihoods. The author explores whether building more reservoirs is a solution to help farmers cope with the impact of droughts that are recurring with increasing frequency in Cambodia and the Mekong Region.