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Climate Change Adaptation Indicators to Assess Wastewater Management and Reuse Options in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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Abstract

Climate change adaptation indicators have played a critical role in the increased understanding of potential climate change impacts. In this research, 6 climate change adaptation indicators were identified for Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam: (1) Rice production from wastewater during winter-spring crop; (2) % of irrigation water demand satisfied by treated wastewater; (3) % of nutrient demand satisfied by treated wastewater; (4) % remaining flow downstream of Can Tho in the Hau River; (5) environmental benefits; and (6) total investment cost for wastewater treatment. These indices were selected to assess various options/strategies for wastewater management and reuse in Can Tho City as a means to improve the City’s resilience to climate change. From an environmental perspective, this study shows the benefits for Can Tho City to set up a strategy to treat and reuse wastewater from catfish farming as the priority among four assessed scenarios with different climate change impact factors. It is concluded that adaptation can be assessed by the indicators because they can define whether adaptation policies and measures are implemented and whether vulnerability is reduced through effective actions.

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Acknowledgments

The work reported here was undertaken as part of the research programme “PRoACC - Post-doctoral Research Programme on Climate Change Adaptation in the Mekong RiverBasin”. The project was funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation (DGIS) through the UNESCO-IHE Partnership Research Fund. This research project is a joint initiative of UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and many partner institutions in the Lower Mekong countries and China. It has not been subjected to peer and/or policy review by DGIS, and, therefore, does not necessarily reflect the view of DGIS.

The authors also would like to acknowledge the Center for Environment Science Technology and Ecology (CESTE) – Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (SIWRR) and its staff in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for their enthusiastic support during the data collection period, the field measurement campaign and water quality analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Resources Department, Core group Pollution Prevention and Control, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, 7 Westvest, PO Box 3015, 2601, DA, Delft, The Netherlands

    Long Thi Trinh, Peter Van Der Steen & Piet N. L. Lens

  2. Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, 658 Vo Van Kiet street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Long Thi Trinh & Giang Nguyen Hoang Vu

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  1. Long Thi Trinh
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  2. Giang Nguyen Hoang Vu
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  3. Peter Van Der Steen
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  4. Piet N. L. Lens
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Correspondence to Long Thi Trinh.

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Trinh, L.T., Vu, G.N.H., Van Der Steen, P. et al. Climate Change Adaptation Indicators to Assess Wastewater Management and Reuse Options in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Water Resour Manage 27, 1175–1191 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-012-0227-6

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