Recognizing Wetland Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Rice Farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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Abstract The overall objective of this project is to analyse if integrated rice farming strategies such as rice-fish farming and integrated pest management strategies (IPM) could provide sustainable alternatives to rice monocropping in the Mekong Delta.

The aims are to compare 1) ecological 2) financial and 3) social aspects of integrated rice farming systems with intensive rice monocropping systems and 4)provide guidance for sustainable rice farming and safer use of pesticides.

The project will through field surveys, group discussion and interviews with farmers: 1) assess current rice farming activities in the Mekong Delta, with a specific focus on number of crops, pesticide use and water exchange. 2)assess the effect of different rice farming strategies and pesticides use on fish, other key ecosystem services (rice, aquatic organisms, water quality, pollinators, natural enemies) and on farmers health3)compare the net income between farmers with different rice farming strategies to assess the financial viability of these different strategies 4) assess how farmers perceive that the production of rice, fish and other ecosystem services have changed and will change under different rice farming strategies and how those changes have affected/will affect their livelihoods and wellbeing 5)make a preliminary risk assessment of the current use of pesticides, to provide guidance for safer use of pesticides and more sustainable rice farming strategies.