Experts Describe 4 Hindrances to Vietnam Mekong Delta’s Development

Some experts and researchers have pointed out four hardships that hinder Vietnam’s Mekong Delta from thriving, local newswire VnExpress reported. The four hindrances are poor transport infrastructure; limited human resources; climate change and natural resource depletion; and outdated policies and mechanism. Mr. Phan Van Mai, secretary of the Ben Tre Party Committee, made four proposals on sustainable development for the regions. Firstly, it is important to complete regional planning, especially coastal economic development. Secondly, the region should devise mechanisms and policies to attract investment in infrastructure for fields of irrigation, transport, logistics, energy, and more. Thirdly, it is necessary to study, develop, and transfer green technologies in maritime exploitation. In terms of tourism, several coastal tourism centers should be synchronously developed to avoid offering overlapped products. Fourthly, investment into education should be boosted to create high-quality human resources for the delta. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)’s report warned the Mekong Delta region has now reached its limit under the traditional growth strategy, and a new path was needed to prevent it from falling behind further. Around 1.3 million people migrated out of the Mekong Delta between 2009 and 2019, making the region rank top in the country in the number of migrants and bottom in the number of immigrants. (VnExpress, VTV, VnExpress, VnExpress)