Water Resources Vulnerability Assessment in Ca Mau Peninsula - Vietnam

Abstract

To assess the vulnerability of water resources in the Ca mau Peninsula in Vietnam, this paper adopts an indicator-based approach wherein vulnerability is expressed as a function of water stress and adaptive capacity. Water stress encompasses indicators of water resources variation, scarcity, exploitation, and water pollution, whereas adaptive capacity covers indicators of natural, physical, human resource, and economic capacities. Based on the evaluation of four indicators, with nine vulnerability parameters in terms of resources stress, development pressures, ecological insecurity, and management challenges in the Ca mau Peninsula that leads to suggest differential policy options to reach sustainable development. The vulnerability indices obtained show that the studied region is generally in a prospective condition to realise sustainable water resources management due to richness of water availability, natures and human sources. However, it still face to such matters like safe drinking water accessibility, sanitation improvement, water pollution, ecosystem deterioration and conflict management capacity. Hence, strong policy interventions should be designed to overcome key constraints, and great efforts should be made to provide technical support related to water exploitation, land uses, and management capacity to cope with the main challenges.