Ben Tre Province Research Articles

Забавные народные истории об умниках Южного Вьетнама: развитие и особенности жанра

The article presents a relatively new genre of South Vietnamese folk funny stories about wise men called "truyen trang", which is literally translated from Vietnamese as tales about wise folk wits, and has not yet been sufficiently studied by Vietnamese folklorists. The author explores South Vietnamese tales about a birdcatcher named O from Ben Tre province (26 tales) and tales about Uncle Ba Phi from the Ca Mau region, which is located in the extreme south of Vietnam (54 tales). Their typical plot structures, basic techniques of composition and organization of artistic space are explored. A comparative analysis of Chuyen Trang tales with similar tales from the northern and other regions of Vietnam is carried out. This article is the first step towards getting acquainted with the genre of funny stories about truyen trang smart guys, which became widespread in South Vietnam. For the first time, it examines the history of the emergence of this genre, its development and features.

Isolation and selection of active Bacillus strains that have the ability to control black-headed insect (Opisina arenosella Walker) causing damage to coconut trees in Ben Tre province

Isolation and selection of active Bacillus strains that have the ability to control black-headed insect (Opisina arenosella Walker) causing damage to coconut trees in Ben Tre province

A holistic approach to salinity intrusion vulnerability assessment using geospatial technologies: An application for mekong delta of vietnam

Saltwater intrusion is a critical natural hazard impacting millions of lives globally, particularly in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. This study presents a comprehensive approach to assessing saltwater intrusion vulnerability, combining hazard, exposure/sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. We developed a salinity intrusion hazard map using data from 68 monitoring stations and 156 prevention culverts collected on February 23, 2020. Twenty-eight indicators representing exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity were standardized and weighted using the Iyengar-Sudarshan method. Our analysis revealed that 15.74 % of the study area, particularly Mo Cay Bac and Mo Cay Nam districts in Ben Tre province and Dam Doi district in Ca Mau province, exhibits very high vulnerability to saltwater intrusion. These findings provide critical insights for designing effective saltwater intrusion warning systems and implementing targeted disaster risk management strategies in the Mekong Delta. The approach and results are also applicable to similar coastal deltas and regions worldwide, offering a valuable framework for mitigating saltwater intrusion impacts.

Applicability of Remote Sensing Techniques in Drought Predicting: A Case Study in Ben Tre Province, Vietnam

Background: Drought poses significant threats to ecosystems, agriculture and the environment, including reduced crop yields, habitat degradation and increased risk of forest fires and soil erosion. In addressing this issue, remote sensing technology (RST) has emerged as a valuable tool for studying and monitoring drought phenomena, offering advantages over traditional research methods. Methods: This study focuses on the application of RST, specifically utilizing Landsat satellite images, to calculate drought indices and develop drought maps for the Ben Tre province in Vietnam. The research involved the analysis of Landsat satellite images collected between 2000 and 2020, using various drought indices such as TCI, VCI, SAVI and WSVI. Result: By employing these indices, the study was able to classify the levels of drought and generate a drought map for the study area. The findings revealed that the coastal regions encompassing Thanh Phu, Ba Tri and Binh Dai districts face a high risk of drought during the dry season.

Phân tích mối tương quan về du lịch của tỉnh Bến Tre với khu vực lân cận dựa vào mô hình không gian

The article employs a spatial analysis model using two methods, Average Nearest Neighbour (ANN) and Kernel density, to identify correlations in tourism development in Ben Tre province compared to neighboring areas. The study focuses on surveying five types of tourist attractions: natural ecology, history and culture, modern entertainment, community, and spirituality. The results indicate the distribution trends of these types of attractions, serving as a basis for formulating resource exploitation strategies and developing various forms of tourism in Ben Tre province to create differentiation and enhance competitiveness in the region.

Detection and mitigation of soil salinization risk from saline/brackish water aquaculture in coastal areas: an application of remote sensing and managed aquifer recharge

This study focuses on detecting and mitigating soil salinization in four coastal areas of the Mekong Delta (Vietnam). Salinity patterns in the soils of the Mekong River Delta are not random but linked to land use practices and distance to the sea. We examine two quick yet reliable remote sensing-based techniques to detect the coastal aquaculture area and separate it from the inland freshwater farmland. These techniques can eventually be used to identify locations with an elevated risk of salinization in other coastal regions. Finally, we investigate a salinization mitigation solution based on creating a managed aquifer recharge system along the buffer zone that separates the coastal aquaculture area from the inland freshwater agriculture area. The implementation of an infiltration pond system is technically feasible in the Mekong Delta provided that hydrogeological characteristics, the fresh-saline interface position, and freshwater demands are considered. The transitional zone between freshwater agriculture and brackish water aquaculture in Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Ben Tre provinces is optimal for implementing an aquifer recharge/freshwater barrier scheme.

The psychological conditions and social engagement in the Vietnamese older people

This study examines the psychological conditions and social engagement of older people in Vietnam. Population aging is occurring globally, including in Vietnam, necessitating an immediate supply of services to cater to the needs of the elderly. As individuals experience more significant advancements in their daily activities, the significance of mental health becomes a growing issue for the elderly population. We conducted a quantitative study on a sample of 100 senior individuals in Ben Tre province, Vietnam, to assess the psychological well-being of older adults. The findings suggest that older people frequently participate in sedentary activities such as reading newspapers, watching television programs, and listening to the radio. Additionally, older individuals expressed psychological conditions such as joy and happiness, a sense of respect, as well as feelings of helplessness, self-pity, and loneliness. In addition, older persons also expressed psychological conditions such as joy and happiness, being respectful, as well as feelings of helplessness, self-pity, and loneliness. This study emphasizes the significance of community policies and programs in consciously planning social activities to promote engagement among elderly individuals. To prevent dangerous situations, health professionals and clinicians should enhance the evaluation of psychiatric disorders in older people and direct those at risk to existing community resources.

Modeling and assessing spatial and temporal changes in recent agricultural land-use in Ben Tre province, Vietnam

Modeling and assessing spatial and temporal changes in recent agricultural land-use in Ben Tre province, Vietnam

Solutions for Developing Agricultural Economy to Adapt Climate Change In Ben Tre Province – Viet Nam (2011 - 2022)

In 2023, according to the Ben Tre Provincial Statistics Department: Ben Tre is still an agricultural province with 75.59% of agricultural land area, up to 89.75% of the population belongs to rural and labor areas. 328,706 people aged 15 and older working in the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sector annually, accounting for 42.57% of the total number of workers at Ben Tre province in 2022 (772,229 people), the highest among all economic sectors. international. Facing the effects of climate change and saltwater intrusion, Ben Tre is considered one of the most heavily affected localities in the Mekong Delta, restructuring the agricultural sector and converting tree production Planting and raising livestock to adapt to climate change is one of the important issues that the province pays regular attention to. The content of the article will point out the causes, current situation and implementation of restructuring the agricultural sector to adapt to the increasingly serious situation of climate change and saltwater intrusion in Ben Tre in the period of 2011 - 2022, from 2011 to 2022. That points out the need to maintain and promote appropriate agricultural development policies in the province in the coming time.

Exploring Guests’ Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Homestay Experiences: A Netnographic Study of a Rural Tourism Destination in Vietnam

ABSTRACT Few studies have used online reviews to gain useful insights into homestay guests’ satisfaction. This study responds to demands from the existing literature on homestay tourism in a rural destination context to identify the factors that contribute to tourists’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction by examining homestay experiences in Vietnam’s Ben Tre province. User-generated content on Booking.com was analyzed using a netnographic approach. The data comprised 656 online posts. The findings suggest that guests achieve satisfaction from host families’ attitudes and language abilities, high-quality facilities in the bedrooms and grounds, authentic cuisine, a peaceful location, the availability of complementary services, and affordable prices. The findings contradict studies suggesting that homestay guests may seek familiarity, and this was largely not evident in terms of tourist food consumption while at the destination. In addition, the findings challenge studies indicating that prices have a strong influence on tourists’ satisfaction with homestay tourism.

Exploring the relationship of the winter-spring crop’s rice yield with meteorological drought and water resources in Ben Tre province

Recent environmental changes have significantly impacted rice cultivation in Ben Tre province, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) coastal province. This research employed the Mann-Kendall (MK) non-parametric method and Sen’s slope (SS) technique to detect trends in the rice yield of the winter-spring crop (WSC) in Ben Tre province and environmental parameters from 2009 to 2020. These environmental parameters include the meteorological drought index and key water resource metrics, potentially affecting the region’s rice yield. Furthermore, it established the relationship between these environmental parameters and rice yield using multiple linear regression. The results indicated an average decrease of 0.13 ton/ha/year in the WSC’s rice yield, with a severe reduction to 2.86 ton/ha in 2016. This decline in rice yield is likely attributed to environmental shifts, particularly during years with extreme hydrological events. The study found that during the months of dry season, from January to April, there was a decrease of 0.14 per year in the minimum Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI-4min) at the Ben Tre meteorological station; an increase in the minimum daily discharge at the Tan Chau station (QTCmin) by 81 m3/s/year; a decrease in the mean daily water level at the My Thuan station (QMTmean) by 0.22 cm/year; and an increase in the maximum daily water level at the Ben Trai station (HBTmax) by 0.67 cm/year. However, the maximum daily salinity concentration at the Tra Vinh station (STVmax) showed no significant trend, oscillating between 6.5 and 15 g/l, potentially because the three-hourly monitoring intervals might not have fully captured peak salinity levels. The regression model identified SPEI-4min (with a Correlation Index (CI) of 0.450) and STVmax (CI = 0.372) as the primary factors influencing rice yield. Additionally, QTCmin and HBTmax were also significant, though to a lesser extent, with correlation indices of 0.310 and 0.303, respectively. Conversely, QMTmean had a relatively minor influence, with a correlation index of 0.136. These findings are crucial to developing adaptive strategies and policies for improving the resilience of rice production in the study province and throughout the VMD.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of shallow aquifers in Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province, Vietnam

Shallow aquifers in the Thanh Phu coastal area in Ben Tre Province are increasingly withdrawn for domestic and irrigation purposes. However, groundwater resources here are declining in quality due to the effects of seawater intrusion and anthropogenic activities. It requires an understanding of the groundwater origin and changes in water quality to protect local groundwater resources. By applying the hydrogeochemical approach, the origin and quality of groundwater here have been clarified. A total of 35 water samples were collected during the 2023 dry season. The laboratory analysis included 16 ions. The results show that the groundwater water types are Ca-Cl, Ca-Mg-Cl and Na-Cl, with the domination of the third pattern. Hydrochemical characteristics have shown evaporation, silicate weathering, cation exchange and marine effects as the vital processes governing the mineralization of regional groundwater. Most of the water samples are of poor quality, not adapting to domestic water standards according to the National Technical Regulation on Domestic Water Quality and WHO 2011. It requires water treatment before being used for domestic purposes. However, the SAR, Na%, PI, KR and EC values displayed that groundwater here was still acceptable for irrigation purposes, demonstrating the prospect of using groundwater for agricultural purposes in the study area.

Analyzing Rice land changes using Remote sensing and GIS in Ben Tre province, Viet nam

Ben Tre province is located at the downstream of the Mekong river system where there are three ecosystems: saline, brackish and freshwater, which create favorable conditions for the development of the horticultural economy and the marine economy. Faced with the impact of climate change and market demand, agricultural planning has been adjusted to land use planning. In which, the rice land area was adjusted to decrease to suit the actual situation. This study applies Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the change process in the rice land area of Ben Tre province over 6-time points 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2023. Through land cover classification results from Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite image data, the study analyzes the process of converting rice land to other land types. From there, the study evaluates the effectiveness of converting agricultural land use purposes. The research results contribute to connecting the master plan for socio-economic development with land use planning in the future.

Morphological characteristics of Bracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of coconut Black Headed Caterpillar Opisina arenosella Walker (Lepidoptera: Xyloryctidae)

The Bracon hebetor is an essential natural enemy in suppressing the coconut black-headed caterpillar (BHC) Opisina arenosella, which was common in coconut field in Ben Tre province. Under laboratory conditions, with six-instar larvae of BHC as a host, the adult body of B. hebetor was yellow-brown and the male’s antennae were longer than those of the female, with oblong and rectangular shapes consisting of 17 - 20 segments, while the female’s antennae were square-shaped with 11 - 14 segments. The abdomen of B. hebetor was pale yellow, with its last segment being dark brown. Females of B. hebetor were larger than males. The average body length of female and male was 3.2 ± 0.17 mm and 3.0 ± 0.18 mm, respectively. The average body length of 2-day-old pupae was 3.0 ± 0.20 mm and that of 3-day-old ones was 3.5 ± 0.21 mm. The average egg length was 0.7 ± 0.07 mm. The findings of this study helped provide information on the identification of B. hebetor larval parasitic wasps on the BHC host, aiding in the search for natural enemies of BHC in coconut fields. Additionally, the research also facilitated the exploration of the biological and ecological aspects of this natural adversary in Vietnam.

Management competency among head nurses at general hospitals in Ben Tre province in 2023

Objectives: Determine the level of management competency among head nurses and related factors at Ben Tre General Hospitals in 2023. Research participants and methods: A cross-sectional description with analysis on 50 Head Nurses using the Chase Nursing Management Competency questionnaire. Results: Head nurses self-assess their management competency on a 4-point Likert scale in 5 areas: professional, technical (3.4.± 0.4), human resource management (3.1 ± 0.4), thinking (3.1 ± 0.5), leadership (3.1 ± 0.4) and financial management (2.9 ± 0.6). Related factors with statistical significance include professional qualifications, management qualifications, time in charge of management, number of beds in the department, and number of nurses in the department. Conclusion: Professional and technical competencies are self-assessed by the head nurses as having the ability to be applied with the most confidence, and financial management competencies are the competencies that can be applied and implemented with the least confidence. Factors: qualifications and time in charge of management are related factors with statistical significance. Therefore, hospitals need to prioritize training, fostering, and updating professional and management knowledge for head nurses to improve the efficiency of patient care and management.

Study on assessing the impact of evaporation on the natural recharge in the Holocene aquifer of sand dunes in Ben Tre province, Vietnam

On the surface of the terrain in Ben Tre province, sand dunes exist in the form of thin strips running parallel and facing the coastline, with a total distributed area of about 12,179 hectares. These sand dunes vary in size, with widths ranging from 100 to 620 meters and lengths from 1,200 to 7,200 m. The predominant geological component in these sand dunes is fine-grained sand with large pore sizes. The vegetation cover on these sand dunes is sparse, with numerous hours of sunlight throughout the year. The air temperature and surface evaporation are high, creating favourable conditions for the evaporation process from the groundwater surface. This study employs the direct evaporation measurement method using Lysimeter (LS) based on the water balance principle. The LS measuring station is located in Tan Thuy commune, Ba Tri district, Ben Tre province, to monitor the groundwater loss through evaporation, simulating real conditions with groundwater levels at depths of 0.5 and 0.9 m. The monitoring and calculations show that the total groundwater evaporation during the period from 1 June 2022 to 31 May 2023 is approximately 142.5 mm, equivalent to 24.9% of the natural recharge of the aquifer.

Evaluation of machine learning models for mapping soil salinity in Ben Tre province, Vietnam

Evaluation of machine learning models for mapping soil salinity in Ben Tre province, Vietnam

When water policies derail livelihood aspirations: farmers’ agency in everyday politics in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

ABSTRACT Development of water infrastructure is conventionally prioritised as a pre-emptive intervention policy to address water challenges. In the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, turning a river into a reservoir is touted as a ‘highly-modernist’ water management approach to secure the year-round supply of freshwater for agricultural production. This paper investigates how contested water-livelihood relations emerged from the building of the Ba Lai sluice scheme in Ben Tre Province, and how these processes demonstrate farmers’ agency in everyday politics in seeking solutions for livelihood sustainability. Drawing on a qualitative case study in Binh Dai District, we argue that, while the scheme successfully fulfils the state’s political intention in securing water supply for freshwater-based crop production in coastal zones, it generates contestation between the local government’s attempts to enforce freshwater policies and farmers’ agency in maintaining productive livelihoods. The findings suggest that power asymmetries are embedded within these water-livelihood relations. We find that seeking just solutions that have co-benefits for water management and livelihood sustainability should go beyond business-as-usual water politics by adequately recognising the agency of farmers in sustainable development. The case study offers lessons for navigating the sustainable future of water development projects in coastal deltas and beyond.

The effect of breeds and rearing system on laying performance and egg quality of local chickens

The study was to identify the reproductive performance of Vietnamese local chickens, named Noi chickens from 36 - 46 weeks of age. The study aimed to determine the effect of breeds and rearing system on laying performance and egg quality of local chickens. The study was a factorial design with 2x2 factors and involved with 120 layers. The first factor was 2 rearing systems (experimental free-range farming system in Tra Vinh province and local free-range farming system in Ben Tre province). The second factor was 2 breeds (egg and broiler purpose). The results showed that egg production rate, laying egg per week were significantly different between breeds and rearing systems (P<0.05) while feed intake was not different. The highest egg production rate recorded at week 44 with 38.42%. For egg quality, yolk diameter, yolk color and yolk index were different breeds and rearing system. It can be recommended that rearing system in Ben Tre province and egg purpose breed was better for egg production and quality.

Loan accessibility for social housing in Vietnam's Mekong Delta: An empirical study

The purpose of this study is to examine how easily low-income workers can get loans for social housing projects under a Vietnamese government policy. This policy, outlined in Decision 388/QD-TTg by the Prime Minister on April 3, 2023, aims to build at least 1 million apartments for low-income individuals and industrial park workers from 2021 to 2030. The study focuses on four branches of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policy (VBSP) in the Mekong Delta region: Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang provinces. The research involved surveying 280 workers who applied for loans at these banks between May 2003 and September 2023. Half of these applicants met the loan criteria, while the other half did not. Using a Binary logistic regression model, the study identified several factors that influence the likelihood of obtaining a social housing loan from VBSP. These factors include the applicant's age, education level, number of dependents, marital status, total income, equity ratio, and the value of collateral. Among these, the total income, value of collateral, and equity ratio were found to have the most significant effect on loan accessibility. Based on the findings, the authors suggest policy recommendations to make it easier for low-income workers to access loans for social housing in the future, enhancing the effectiveness of the VBSP's lending program in the Mekong Delta.