Ninety percent of the shoreline in the Mekong delta is shifting as a result of climate change. Sediments are being pulled away from the eastern edge of the delta and deposited further west by currents. Measurements by the CESBIO biosphere research centre have revealed that the eastern coast is being eroded at a rate of 30 to 50 metres a year and the shoreline is advancing at a rate of 70 to 100 metres a year along the western coast.

This study used satellite imagery from 1973 to 2008. It is supported by Planet Action, a Spot Image initiative to aid actions and projects combating climate change.

The Mekong delta is among the regions of the globe most under threat from climate change. Rising sea level and temperature, typhoons and saltwater encroachment are altering the delta ecosystem. Economic and demographic pressures, the spread of farmland and degradation of the mangroves is further reducing local biodiversity and exacerbating the processes already underway.

With this study, CESBIO can now alert the Vietnamese government and NGOs and propose remedial measures and strategies for the delta’s 18 million inhabitants.

Planet Action Project  "Impacts in the Mekong Delta"