On 19th September, 2022, the seminar “Unsettling Deltas: Climate change, migration, and livelihoods in Vietnam” was presented by Dr. Kimberley Anh Thomas, a Professor from Temple University, USA, who is currently based in Vietnam as a Fulbright Scholar. This seminar was organized by the Research Institute for Climate Change (DRAGON-Mekong Institute), Can Tho University.

Dr. Thomas presented preliminary findings from an assessment of migrant populations and land-use cover and change in the Mekong Delta from 2000 to 2020. She also presented an upcoming research plan to be carried out in 4 provinces of Soc Trang, Long An, Tien Giang, and Ca Mau. This research will investigate the Mekong Delta's agricultural transformation and the factors that influence rural residents to migrate on a short-term or long-term basis. Some of the main research elements include assessing how land-use practices in the study areas have changed over the past twenty years using remote sensing imagery, as well as analyzing local policies and census data to identify drivers of land-use change and population migration. The research will also entail 200 household surveys to investigate the relationship between land-use practices, state economic policies, environmental change, and mobility.

Photos from the seminar: