WATER GOVERNANCE OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Agency for International Development (USAID) under cooperative agreement AID-OAA-A-11-00012 and implemented by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (NAS). The project leader was Dr. Van Kien Nguyen, Director of RCRD. The project aimed to establish small-scale automatic irrigation systems to supply a citrus Chuc tree farm in the Khmer communities of An Giang Province, Vietnam. The project focused on the Nui To Commune, Tri Ton District, where the socioeconomic groups are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The project aimed to save water and energy by operating on solar power. The effectiveness of the automatic sprinkler system was evaluated through a trial conducted on April 1-16, 2018. The system was installed at a Chuc tree garden owned by Mr. Chau Chum, and it was found to consume about 40 liters of water per hour with a pumping system capacity of 6-10m3 per hour. The system operated on solar energy with a capacity of 300W and was controlled by a system housed at An Giang University. The watering timetable fluctuated and varied between days to respond to changes in soil moisture. The trial showed that the automatic sprinkler system saved 50% of water compared to traditional watering methods. The system also saved labor time and financial costs. In comparison, traditional watering methods using watering cans consumed 1,000 liters of water per watering time and took 3-5 hours to water 200 Chuc trees. The labor cost for this activity was equivalent to VND 150,000. The automatic sprinkler system mitigated these costs and provided a more efficient and sustainable solution for irrigation. The project highlighted the importance of water conservation in the agricultural sector, particularly in regions where water resources are scarce. According to the World Bank, the agricultural sector in Vietnam consumes about 80% of the usable water, creating a significant burden on the nation's natural water resources. The project demonstrated the potential of technological solutions, such as automatic sprinkler systems, to save water and promote sustainable water management in agriculture.