On the morning of June 18, 2024, the Research Institute for Climate Change (DRAGON-Mekong) at Can Tho University, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province, hosted a ceremony to donate water environment monitoring equipment to two communities in Thoi Binh district, Ca Mau province. This initiative is part of the "Climate Change Adaptation in Ca Mau" project, a cooperative effort between the DRAGON-Mekong Institute and Archer Daniels Midland Group (ADM), spanning 12 months from December 2023 to December 2024, with the goal of promoting sustainable development.
The ceremony was attended by Ms. Clare Torralba, Director of Pet Nutrition APEC at ADM Cares, representing the sponsor. From Can Tho University, Associate Professor Dr. Van Pham Dang Tri, Director of the DRAGON-Mekong Institute (head of the project), was present along with other project members. Local attendees included representatives from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province, and members of the two communities in Thoi Binh district.
Figure: Associate Professor, Dr. Van Pham Dang Tri - Director of DRAGON–Mekong Institute speaking at the ceremony.
Figure: Ms. Clare Torralba - Director, Pet Nutrition APEC, ADM Group speaking at the ceremony.
During the ceremony, 20 water environment monitoring equipment were presented to the Quyet Thang and Tan Loc Phat cooperatives in Tri Phai and Tan Loc communes. These devices will help the community measure key water quality parameters, including salinity, pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS). The equipment will enable the community to monitor water salinity as well as the quality of water source, aiding in decision-making for the shrimp-rice production model in the area. Additionally, community members can self-record water quality data and send it to the project team. This data will be updated on the environmental information integration website, the Data Mining Center for Sustainable Development of the Mekong Delta (Knowledge Hub), managed by Can Tho University.
Providing water environment monitoring equipment to communities effectively raises awareness about environmental quality, empowers local participation in environmental monitoring and supervision, and promotes actions to improve environmental standards.
Following the ceremony, further project activities took place on the afternoon of June 18 and the morning of June 19. These activities included the establishment of "Climate Change Monitoring and Adaptation Communities" within the Quyet Thang and Tan Loc Phat cooperatives, analysis of the current shrimp-rice model to propose sustainable development solutions in the face of climate change, and discussions on enhancing adaptive capacity within the communities.
Figure: The ceremony
Figure: Awarding sponsorship logo for the topic "Climate Change Adaptation in Ca Mau"
Figure: Mr. Pham Van Dien - Chairman of Tri Phai Commune People's Committee speaking at the ceremony
Figure: Associate Professor, Dr Van Pham Dang Tri (Representative of the hosting unit) and Ms. Clare Torralba (Representative of the sponsoring unit) presented water quality monitoring equipment to 2 communities.
Figure: Practice using water quality monitoring equipment
Figure: Launching the Monitoring and Adaptation Community in Tri Phai commune