GREEN TOURISM IN THE MEKONG DELTA - Solving the challenges of climate change

Tourists visit the natural fish area at Bay Bon fish raft, Con Son. This is an area that contributes to the protection of natural aquatic resources. Photo: KIEU MAI

Many effects of climate change

Dr. Doan Manh Cuong, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, said that climate change and natural disasters are among the challenges for green tourism in our country, including the Mekong Delta. Rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather directly affect many tourist destinations.

According to a report by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (formerly known as the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) , in the Mekong Delta, saline intrusion and land subsidence have reduced about 30% of the area of cultivated land and mangrove forests in the past 10 years, affecting eco-tourism.

Dr. Phan Cong Khanh (former Director of the Regional Political Academy IV, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics) also said that the Mekong Delta has many unique tourism products that few places have, such as river resources, fields, gardens, floating markets, flooded forests, seas, islands... However, this advantage is threatened by climate change and rising sea levels.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province, the province has great potential for tourism development, especially eco-tourism, with many prominent destinations such as Mui Ca Mau National Park, U Minh Ha National Park, Hon Khoai Island Cluster Landscape Protection Area, Hon Da Bac, Khai Long Beach... About 70% of the province's tourist attractions are operating a combination of eco-tourism and community tourism. However, activities associated with mangrove and freshwater ecosystems are easily affected by weather conditions or negative impacts of climate change such as saltwater intrusion, storms, high tides or droughts, landslides... Many infrastructures serving tourism development and relics are also affected by the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.

Specific solutions for developing green tourism

According to Dr. Doan Manh Cuong, local authorities in the Mekong Delta can invest in planting wave-blocking forests or research and build floating tourist areas, learning from the Netherlands with the floating house system in Amsterdam. Along with that, management agencies need to encourage hotels and homestays to apply energy-saving standards and reduce waste. Another important solution is for localities and businesses to build and develop many climate change-adaptive tours, combining sightseeing with mangrove planting activities, releasing aquatic species in water areas, contributing to the restoration, regeneration and development of ecosystems and environmental protection.

From the perspective of Can Tho City, Master Dinh Thi Chinh (Can Tho University) said that preserving tangible cultural heritages from the impacts of climate change is an urgent task, requiring close coordination between management agencies, communities and experts; in order to contribute to sustainable tourism development, maintaining local cultural identity in the context of increasingly complex climate change.

According to Master Dinh Thi Chinh, one of the suitable solutions is to consider investing in installing automatic monitoring stations at important relics, concentrated in areas heavily affected by climate change such as Ben Ninh Kieu, Chua Ong, and Binh Thuy Ancient House. These stations will continuously monitor environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, water level, and air quality. The collected data is transmitted to the information processing center in real time, allowing for quick response when there are signs of abnormalities. Along with that, the application of advanced technologies such as remote sensing, 3D modeling, and some other new technologies will contribute to improving the ability to assess and forecast the impact of climate change, thereby making conservation decisions timely and effectively.
On the tourism business side, a representative of Vietravel Tourism Joint Stock Company said that in the tours and routes bringing tourists to the Mekong Delta in particular, and domestic and international tourist areas in general, the business prioritizes selecting and introducing to tourists activities and experiences related to environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and exploring indigenous culture. In 2025, the business launched the Campaign "Keeping the Cranes - Keeping Millions of Greens", with the goal of supporting the protection of the red-crowned crane - a rare bird species of the wetland ecosystem in Vietnam, especially in Tram Chim National Park.

Accordingly, visitors will visit typical locations in Dong Thap: Tram Chim National Park - known as the "green lung of Dong Thap Muoi"; My Phuoc Thanh eco-tourism area; Xeo Quyt relic site - where stories of a historical period of resistance are preserved, experience making paintings from cajuput bark - an activity combining culture, art and protection of indigenous resources. At the same time, Vietravel also supports the cost of installing a specialized water filtration system, creating a clean water source for cranes to drink, supporting the restoration of indigenous ecosystems with plants such as sedge grass, reed grass, and recreating the natural habitat of red-crowned cranes in the wetlands of Dong Thap Muoi.

THANH TRA (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/du-lich-xanh-o-dbscl-hoa-giai-thach-thuc-tu-bien-doi-khi-hau-a189637.html