The first online Tailor-Made Training (TMT) training program in the project ''CAPACITY BUILDING FOR FOOD SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION: EVALUATING FINANCIAL, ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF DIFFERENT (SHRIMP) PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND PREPARATION FOR NATURE-POSITIVE RURAL DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS RESILIENT, INTEGRATED AND EQUITABLE "FOOD & WATER" SYSTEMS IN CA MAU PROVINCE OF THE VIETNAMESE MEKONG DELTA"
The training program is within the framework of the Orange Knowledge Program (OKP) project, organized by the Climate Change Research Institute (DRAGON-Mekong) - Can Tho University and Q-Point B.V. Company, Department of Geo-Information Sciences and Earth Observation - University of Twente (ITC). Phase 1 of the project is online from February 26 to 29, 2024. The main goal is to introduce aquaculture systems in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) and analyze each model's economic, ecological, and social benefits. Opening the training program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Van Pham Dang Tri - Director of DRAGON-Mekong, opened remarks and looked forward to receiving attention, active sharing, and discussion from participants contributing to the field of sustainable management of the ecosystem in mangroves and aquaculture system in the Mekong Delta, in particular as well as in Vietnam in general.
Figure 1: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Van Pham Dang Tri opened remarks.
MSc. Nguyen Luyen Phuong Doan - project coordinator for the Vietnamese side, introduced the project (Figure 2). The project is divided into three main phases: (1) Online training, (2) In-person training at DRAGON-Mekong combines field trips in Ca Mau and Soc Trang Provinces, (3) Report on the results of evaluating shrimp farming systems in the VMD (in the second training session) and organize meetings between stakeholders to aquaculture systems in Ca Mau and Soc Trang Provinces. The main goal of the training program is to ensure sustainability in the food chain in the VMD and give examples of each shrimp farming activity and other aquaculture systems to evaluate economic, social, and environmental. In addition, shrimp polyculture approaches in the VMD evaluate mangrove forests, and shrimp farming in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is specifically evaluated through particular examples.
Figure 2: MSc. Nguyen Luyen Phuong Doan introduced the TMT course.
Participating in sharing at the first training session, experts from the Netherlands and Belgium (Figure 3), including Ms. Karin - Sustainable Aquaculture Solutions (SAS) expert in the Netherlands, Ms. Nancy - Shell&Valves expert in Belgium, Ms. Olivia: Expert Q-Point B.V. in the Netherlands, and Mr. Roel - Independent expert in the Netherlands.
Figure 3: Experts in the Netherlands and Belgium introduced project roles.
Participants in the training session are mainly lecturers and researchers from Universities in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC University of Natural Resources and Environment and Van Lang University) and in the VMD (Bac Lieu University and Can Tho University). After each training session, participants had opportunities to discuss in groups and present results for each shrimp farming system.
Figure 4: Lecturers and researchers introduced themselves and their organizations.
The training course content was relevant to integrated aquaculture systems' issues in the VMD, such as mangrove-shrimp or rice-shrimp and super-intensive shrimp systems, and assessed the sustainability of each system. In addition, Dutch and Belgian experts also introduced many combined shrimp systems and technology innovation applications in the Netherlands. In addition, natural-based solutions applied in the VMD are also introduced in the training program. Training participants based on the mentioned systems and proposed choosing two shrimp systems: (1) Mangrove-shrimp and (2) Super intensive shrimp system. Peripheral factors (climate, biodiversity, emissions generation, water pollution, etc.), opportunities, challenges, and solutions were evaluated for each system. According to Dr. Bosma, an independent expert in the Netherlands (Figure 5), socioeconomic benefits were also significant besides considering the peripheral factors of each model. For example, mangrove-shrimp and mangrove ecosystem services need to be carefully calculated so that shrimp production in ponds achieves the highest economic value, environmental factors are considered, and how to assess erosion situations of the shrimp ponds.
Figure 5: Dr. Roel H. Bosma shared socioeconomic benefits in improving mangrove forests and aquaculture quality.
Through group discussion, participants in the training course have opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of each shrimp system with comprehensive evaluations of the presentations from Dutch and Belgian experts. Aquaculture experiences between the Netherlands and Vietnam were discussed in a general discussion among three groups. Dr. Thai Phuong Vu and MSc. Le Thi Ngoc Diem - Lecturers at Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment gave many direct shares on evaluating costs, benefits, and finances for each aquaculture system in the VMD (Figure 6). In addition, other lecturers from Van Lang University and Can Tho University and experts in the training program discussed many questions related to ecology, economics, and society in each shrimp farming system.
Figure 6: MSc. Le Thi Ngoc Diem, Lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment, discussed the environmental aspect of different shrimp farming systems in the VMD.
