How wetland conservation is reviving farming in Vietnam's Dong Thap Muoi

Today, it stands at the center of a collaborative effort by local authorities, scientists, and farmers to protect its fragile wetlands while securing sustainable livelihoods for nearby communities.

Preserving Tram Chim’s habitats

As Cao Thai Phong, deputy director of Tram Chim National Park, has witnessed a drastic shift in the park’s natural water cycle in recent years. 

Driven by upstream development and climate change, incoming water flows have changed dramatically, bringing shorter flood seasons, lower peak water levels, and longer, hotter dry seasons.

These shifting weather patterns have heightened the risk of forest fires and placed severe stress on the park’s wetland ecosystems.

In response, Phong and his staff have focused on three main priorities: restoring native habitats through nature-based solutions, deploying thermal drones and satellite imagery to track fires and water levels, and directly involving surrounding communities in conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, Tran Triet, a lecturer at the University of Science under the Vietnam National University–Ho Chi Minh City, who has studied wildlife at the national park, notes that the acidic wetland ecosystem characteristic of Dong Thap Muoi now survives almost exclusively within Tram Chim’s core zone.

He attributes much of the park’s recent ecological recovery to a shift in water management, moving away from maintaining rigid water levels and toward restoring a more natural flood-and-drought cycle.

“Alongside regulating water levels, the park uses controlled burns to reduce dry brush and pumps in water during dry spells to maintain soil moisture,” Triet said.

As a result, populations of waterbirds and migratory species have steadily increased, with several returning to nest after years of absence. Plant diversity has also rebounded, signaling a successful ecosystem recovery.

The return of the sarus crane to the wild is seen as a particularly promising milestone, though rebuilding the population of this iconic bird remains a long-term challenge. To support this goal, a 2022–32 conservation program is currently underway. 

The initiative aims to restore the species through captive breeding and wild reintroduction while rehabilitating its natural feeding grounds and grasslands.

Nature-based farming in buffer zone

In the buffer zone surrounding Tram Chim, farmers have begun transitioning roughly 150 hectares of rice paddies to eco-friendly farming practices. 

Local authorities in Tram Chim Commune are encouraging more growers to adopt these models as part of a broader push toward green, low-emission agriculture.

A newly launched project is also funding flood-adaptive livelihoods around the park. By promoting integrated systems like rice-fish and lotus-fish farming, which work in harmony with seasonal flooding, the project helps farmers move away from intensive triple-crop rice farming. 

This shift is expected to cut production costs, boost incomes, and build stronger climate resilience.

Trinh Phuoc Nguyen, deputy director of the Institute of Climate Change at An Giang University, highlights nature-based agriculture as one of the most effective strategies for adapting to climate change.

He explains that integrated models, such as rice-lotus-fish rotations or growing two rice crops followed by one lotus crop, cut chemical pesticide use, enrich the soil, conserve water, and increase yields. 

Field trial data show that these methods can reduce fertilizer use by roughly 47 percent and cut overall production costs by 30 percent, while increasing crop yields by around five percent.

Nguyen asserts that Dong Thap Province should continue expanding flood-season rice cultivation, restoring wild fish habitats, and improving water retention to recharge groundwater reserves.

Multi-layered, multi-species orchards are also demonstrating high potential in the buffer zone. Nguyen Hoai Bao, a lecturer at the University of Science, points out that unlike monoculture farms, these polyculture orchards act as 'biodiversity islands' that shelter birds, insects, and amphibians.

“In Tram Chim’s buffer zone, these orchards function as vital biological corridors, connecting the wetland ecosystem with surrounding agricultural land,” Bao said.

Building resilience for sustainable development

Le Ha Luan, director of the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that the province is combining infrastructure projects with strategic policy shifts to build climate resilience.

Beyond upgrading irrigation systems, the province is expanding water-monitoring technologies and encouraging farmers to adopt climate-smart crops and water-conserving farming methods.

In 2025, Dong Thap allocated over VND770 billion (US$29.3 million) to irrigation projects, rice production support, and water storage infrastructure. 

Paired with nature-based agricultural models, these investments aim to safeguard both local ecosystems and rural livelihoods for the long term.