Vietnam Mekong Research Articles

GIS based – GALDIT method for aquifer vulnerability assessment to seawater intrusion: Case of a qp2-3 aquifer of Mekong Delta

Recently, seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal aquifers is a global issue that is exacerbated by sea-level rise, climate change, and an increasing dependency on coastal fresh groundwater resources for water supply. Vietnam's Mekong Delta has a flat topography, a dense river network, and a 700 kilometer coastline covering the region's west and east. The Mekong Delta is facing increasingly serious saline intrusion. This paper describes the results of the examination using the GALDIT method as a model to evaluate the vulnerability of seawater intrusion. The method is used to determine the trend of groundwater contamination by seawater intrusion in the qp2-3 aquifer of the Mekong Delta, this Upper-middle Pleistocene aquifer (qp2-3) is one of the main productive aquifers in the Mekong Delta. The analysis result in 2015 shows a moderate and high level of vulnerability in which the highly vulnerable area is along the Tien River and at the depression cone area in Ca Mau. The analysis is reconducted for the time of 2030 with the predicted values for the groundwater level through the forecasting tool. By comparing the model of two times of 2015 and 2030, the results indicated that the impact of the continuous decline of groundwater level is greater than the impact of sea level rise. If the rate of drawdown is kept the same, by 2030 the highly vulnerability area will have expanded to two-thirds of the Mekong Delta. The GALDIT method is a good approach for saltwater intrusion research and moreover water management, and environmental management, such as evaluating the most sensitive areas for monitoring or imposing restrictions where necessary.

Unravelling the economic impact of climate change in Vietnam's Mekong River Delta and Southeast region

Vietnam faces a heightened susceptibility to natural disasters stemming from climate change, yet the impact of these disasters varies markedly across its regions. Consequently, it is imperative to scrutinize the climatic factors affecting the regional economy, with a particular dearth of research addressing the nexus between natural threats and the economies of the Mekong River Delta and the Southeast region of Vietnam. The primary objective is to investigate how temperature fluctuations, rising sea levels, storms, and forest fires can detrimentally affect agriculture, forestry, and infrastructure in these regions. The present research uses the secondary data from Vietnam's General Statistics Office and the German Agency for International Cooperation. Employing quantitative analysis, the study endeavours to assess and compare the influence of climate change elements on the economic trajectories of the Mekong River Delta and the Southeast region. The findings reveal that the Mekong River Delta is disproportionately impacted by economic losses attributed to rising sea levels when juxtaposed with other regions in Vietnam. Firstly, the escalating sea levels significantly jeopardize residential and agricultural land in the Mekong River Delta (1). Secondly, while wildfires inflict damage on forestry in both the Mekong River Delta and the Southeast area, their overall impact is deemed negligible (2). Thirdly, the study ascertains that houses in the Mekong River Delta and the Southeast region remain relatively unscathed by storms (3). However, it is noted that specific storms have inflicted substantial damage on both regions (4). In light of these findings, future research should delve deeper into the analysis of storm risks in the Mekong River Delta and the Southeast region. Such insights are crucial for enhancing our understanding of the vulnerabilities and devising effective strategies to mitigate the economic repercussions of climate change in these pivotal areas.

Economic effects of a controlled mangrove-to-pond coverage ratio policy on mangrove conservation and shrimp farming: A case study in vietnam using instrumental regression analysis

The mangrove-shrimp farming model in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region was devised to foster mangrove conservation while supporting the livelihoods of small-scale shrimp farmers by allocating them land for both mangrove protection and shrimp farming. However, this model faces challenges as farmers often clear mangrove areas to expand shrimp ponds, seeking greater profits. Based on data collected from structured interviews with shrimp farming households, an Instrumental Variable (IV) regression method is used in this study to examine the economic viability of mangrove-shrimp farming in the Tam Giang Protection Forest of Ca Mau province and predict the impacts of recommended fixed mangrove-to-pond coverage ratios (MPR) on shrimp yield and household income in two different scenarios. Findings reveal that almost half of the surveyed farmers do not meet the recommended MPR, prioritizing pond expansion over mangrove protection, suggesting prevalent noncompliance and ineffective regulatory enforcement. Additionally, the research highlighted the critical role of mangrove-shrimp farming in the livelihoods of these communities, with findings indicating that even minimal increases in pond area can enhance productivity. Conversely, stricter pond coverage regulations could potentially worsen the economic situation for numerous households.

Current status and potential of circular agricultural economy for sustainable development in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The study evaluates the circular economy's present state and its potential to advance sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The study has reviewed data, inherited, compared and synthesized the cycle of agricultural models, thereby making suitable recommendations for land use models. The results show that the current models can apply the cycle of models, ensuring efficiency in economic, social and environmentally sustainable development, including items and by-products of the most popular agricultural farming models that people use to generate things like rice, beef, wood, lotus seeds and fruit trees. The by-products of production and harvesting, such as straw, rice straw, rice husk, bones, fish skin, fruit tree sawdust, bagasse etc., are still plentiful but have not yet been fully utilized. Using circular economy in agricultural models can help improve economic and social efficiency and support and effectively exploit resources and human resources. Thereby orienting the cyclic model development, building product linkage chains, efficiently using resources, which can increase models' efficiency and simultaneously protecting the environment sustainability.

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.

Innovation, export orientation, export assistance, and SMEs' export performance: a case in Vietnam's Mekong delta provinces

Innovation, export orientation, export assistance, and SMEs' export performance: a case in Vietnam's Mekong delta provinces

Factors Influencing Tourist Satisfaction in the Restaurant Industry at Can Tho City, Vietnam after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Food & Beverage (F&B) market has accelerated after the COVID-19 crisis, especially in big cities. Stakeholders are racing to improve quality to attract more customers. Can Tho City, a tourism hub in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, is experiencing a revival of its restaurant industry-an important sector of its economy. This study surveyed 286 Vietnamese domestic tourists and international tourists at medium-sized restaurants in Can Tho city, aiming to (1) identify factors affecting customer satisfaction after the health crisis; (2) evaluate the importance of these factors; and (3) propose implications for improving quality, satisfaction, loyalty, and return intention. The study used document research, interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, Partial Least Squares, and Structural Equation Modeling. The findings revealed five factors impacting tourist satisfaction: (1) flavor of food and drinks; (2) reasonable price; (3) cleanliness; (4) service quality; and (5) restaurant atmosphere. Customer satisfaction positively influenced loyalty and return intention. Recommendations were provided for stakeholders in Can Tho's restaurant industry. Keywords: customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, restaurant industry, Can Tho City, Vietnam.

Soil salinity prediction using hybrid machine learning and remote sensing in Ben Tre province on Vietnam's Mekong River Delta.

Soil salinization is considered one of the disasters that have significant effects on agricultural activities in many parts of the world, particularly in the context of climate change and sea level rise. This problem has become increasingly essential and severe in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam. Therefore, soil salinity monitoring and assessment are critical to building appropriate strategies to develop agricultural activities. This study aims to develop a low-cost method based on machine learning and remote sensing to map soil salinity in Ben Tre province, which is located in Vietnam's Mekong River Delta. This objective was achieved by using six machine learning algorithms, including Xgboost (XGR), sparrow search algorithm (SSA), bird swarm algorithm (BSA), moth search algorithm (MSA), Harris hawk optimization (HHO), grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA), particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), and 43 factors extracted from remote sensing images. Various indices were used, namely, root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R2) to estimate the efficiency of the prediction models. The results show that six optimization algorithms successfully improved XGR model performance with an R2 value of more than 0.98. Among the proposed models, the XGR-HHO model was better than the other models with a value of R2 of 0.99 and a value of RMSE of 0.051, by XGR-GOA (R2 = 0.931, RMSE = 0.055), XGR-MSA (R2 = 0.928, RMSE = 0.06), XGR-BSA (R2 = 0.926, RMSE = 0.062), XGR-SSA (R2 = 0.917, 0.07), XGR-PSO (R2 = 0.916, RMSE = 0.08), XGR (R2 = 0.867, RMSE = 0.1), CatBoost (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.12), and RF (R2 = 0.75, RMSE = 0.19), respectively. These proposed models have surpassed the reference models (CatBoost and random forest). The results indicated that the soils in the eastern areas of Ben Tre province are more saline than in the western areas. The results of this study highlighted the effectiveness of using hybrid machine learning and remote sensing in soil salinity monitoring. The finding of this study provides essential tools to support farmers and policymakers in selecting appropriate crop types in the context of climate change to ensure food security.

Investigation of ecological risk of microplastics in peatland areas: A case study in Vietnam

This study aims to investigate the distribution and ecological risk assessment of microplastics (MPs) in peatland areas located in Long An province, Vietnam's Mekong Delta. In general, polyvinyl chloride (60.7%), polyethylene (25.8%), and polypropylene (11.9%) were the most abundant polymers determined in the thirty sediment samples. The hazard index (HI) remarked a level of III for MPs contamination in Tan Thanh and Thanh Hoa districts. The pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated that the contamination risk of MPs polymer types in the studied sites is relatively high. According to PLI values, MPs levels of peatlands in Tan Thanh and Thanh Hoa are high and moderate, respectively, while the peatland sediments in Duc Hue district are less contaminated. Furthermore, ecological risk indexes in the peatland areas were relatively high, with PLIoverall (level III); HIoverall (level V), and RIoverall (extreme danger). Hence, this study proposed a SWOT framework for challenges of MPs pollution in order to manage peatlands appropriately and minimize ecological risks. As a result, several practical strategies and appropriate approaches have been recommended to reduce microplastics towards a circular economy. These findings provide the initial quantitative assessment insights into hazard levels and ecological impacts of MPs in Vietnam's Mekong Delta peatlands.

Physical and numerical modeling of four different shapes of breakwaters to test the suspended sediment trapping capacity in the Mekong Delta

Extreme coastline erosion has become a major issue in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Many coastal protection measures have been assessed based on their ability to dissipate incoming waves rather than their ability to facilitate environmental exchange and sedimentation processes. The goal of this study is to evaluate the ability of hollow and porous types of breakwaters to exchange suspended sediment on the deltaic coast. The experiments are set considering the hydrodynamic conditions of the Mekong Delta. We thought of four different types of breakwaters, including pile-rock porous breakwaters (CMD), two-sided perforated hollow breakwaters (TC1 & DRT/VTC), and curtain breakwaters (CWB45). Physical modeling in a wave flume was engaged to investigate the relationship between breakwater shape and sediment-capturing ability. All different breakwaters were placed on the wave flume with identical boundary conditions. Besides the physical modeling in the laboratory, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques using the FLOW3D model were applied. This provided an opportunity to understand the current distribution and the interactions between the fluid and the breakwater, as well as the ability to extract the vertical velocity profile and further additional insights from the interactions of waves and currents with the breakwaters. The wave parameters collected in the lab were further used to evaluate the numerical simulations in FLOW3D, and model validation demonstrated a good agreement with R2 = 0.74–0.98 and NSE = 0.74–0.96 for FLOW3D calibration and validation. It was found that fine sand and mud silt deposition on the shoreline of the breakwater alignment were significantly reduced in the case of the perforated hollow breakwaters. Therefore, using these hollow breakwaters for wave energy dissipation and sediment trapping presents a dual purpose in creating an environmentally friendly solution to recover mudflats. Hollow breakwaters also provide numerous advantages for supporting the creation of favorable conditions for the revival of mangrove forests, development of regional biodiversity, and overall improvement of coastal ecosystems on the deltaic coast.

Development of decision support framework for optimizing resource recovery from a household-scale integrated agri-aquaculture system in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Various biodegradable wastes derived from an integrated farming system require appropriate waste treatment solutions to maximize their resource recovery efficiency regarding environmental and economic benefits. This study aims to develop a decision support framework for optimizing resource recovery performance of biowaste treatment solutions in the integrated system. The “continuous improvement” concept of the FarmDESIGN model is adopted in conjunction with a Life Cycle Assessment tool. The combination of these two tools provides a comprehensive approach to the optimization algorithms for solving economic problems and emission reduction potential assessment in technology options of biowaste treatment for the integrated farming system. A case study was used for this purpose, with data from a household-scale integrated agri-aquaculture system in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. The results of the optimization calculations revealed that decisions on resource recovery solutions based on system data would identify a set of alternative system configurations. A good farm configuration including solutions of composting, vermicomposting, pelleting, and anaerobic digestion would be appropriate for an agri-aquaculture system larger than 2 ha in size, yielding the highest profits of up to 1900 USD while emitting the least amount of greenhouse gas. This study provides the implementation process of optimizing resource recovery performance, which may be of interest not only to integrated farm managers, but also decision-makers involved in agricultural waste management.

Environmental justice and the politics of coal‐fired thermal power in Vietnam's Mekong Delta

Coal‐fired thermal power has recently become one of the most pressing issues in Vietnam's development agenda. The country's economic development, industrialization and modernization, and population increases have put increasing pressure on energy demands. The Vietnamese government sees coal‐fired power as a way forward in ensuring energy security, which had led to the planning and construction of plants nationwide, particularly from 2016. Simultaneously, a growing anti‐coal power development movement argues that coal‐fired power adversely transforms local people's lives and livelihoods, and negatively impacts the ecological balance in plant locations. Through the lens of environmental justice, this paper examines the development of Vietnam's power sector with a focus on coal‐fired thermal power and its impacts on local livelihoods, food production and water resources. The paper argues that Vietnam's development of coal‐fired power is about much more than energy. It speaks to the state's rule over resources, and how this very process of power generation disproportionately affects local communities in the Mekong Delta.

Salinity intrusion prediction using remote sensing and machine learning in data-limited regions: A case study in Vietnam's Mekong Delta

With population growth, the demand for land resources is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. Maintaining the integrity of soil distribution requires a remarkable amount of work to deal with agricultural extension. Salinity intrusion monitoring is a crucial process, which directly affects sustainable development, especially in areas affected by global warming and in coastal zones. In recent years, various studies have used the soil-water salinity data to evaluate the spatiotemporal increase in salinity intrusion. This study aims to establish a novel framework for monitoring salinity intrusion using remote sensing and machine learning. It focuses on the salinity intrusion in soil, which affects water availability, food security, human health, etc. Numerous algorithms have been implemented to find the best solution for this issue, including Xgboost (XGR), Gaussian processes, support vector regression, deep neural networks, and the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA). A total of 143 samples collected from 2016 to 2020 at 39 measurement stations were divided into two sets: 70% training and 30% testing. Thirty-one independent variables were used to develop the model. Vietnam's Mekong Delta, where the salinity intrusion problem is becoming increasingly serious due to global warming and demographics, was selected as the study area. Each of the proposed models was compared and evaluated by applying various statistical indices such as the root mean square error, coefficient of determination (R2), and mean absolute error. The results show that the prediction model was built successfully by wielding data from the implemented salinity measurement stations, and the XGR-GOA model was better than the other models (R2 = 0.86, RMSE = 0.076, and MAE = 0.065). This finding demonstrates the feasibility of estimating and monitoring salinity intrusion in data-limited regions by integrating optical satellite images and machine learning, which are easily and cost-effectively obtainable. The proposed conceptual methodology in our study is novel and provides additional useful information for the monitoring and management of salinity intrusion not only in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, but also in other sites that have similar natural and anthropological conditions.

Effects of auxin and cytokinin on the regeneration and growth of shoot tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) in drought stress

Tomato is one of the most popular foods in the world. However, drought stress has strongly decreased the growth and yield of tomatoes. Therefore, the study on drought-tolerant tomatoes is essential. In this paper, tomato cultivar TN704, which is popularly grown in Vietnam's Southeast and Vietnam's Mekong Delta was selected. The combination of auxin (IAA, indoleacetic acid) and cytokinin (zeatin) at different concentrations was investigated to determine the effective regeneration media. Then, the drought pretreatment was applied to obtain drought-tolerant shoots. The drought tolerance of regenerated shoots was checked by culture in the drought stress condition after two generations (F1 and F2). The physiological and biochemical changes of regenerated shoots in the drought stress condition were analyzed. The MS 1 2 medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L IAA and 0.5 mg/L zeatin was the effective medium for in vitro shoot regeneration from tomato leaves. The drought pretreatment (MS 1 2 with 20 g/L mannitol) increased the number of regenerated shoots which can develop in the drought stress condition. The regenerated shoots in the F1 and F2 generations grew strongly under drought conditions. The content of chlorophyll, carotenoid and proline, the intensity of respiration and photosynthesis, and the activity of auxin and cytokinin in leaves of F1 and F2 plant were higher than the control.

Impacts of farmers' adaptation to drought and salinity intrusion on rice yield in Vietnam's Mekong Delta

PurposeThe Vietnamese Mekong River Delta (VMD) is one of the most affected deltas by climate change in the world. Several studies have investigated factors influencing farmers' climate change adaptation behaviors in the region; however, little is known about the effectiveness of such measures. This paper examines the determinants of adaptation strategies among VMD rice farmers and assesses the impacts of such practices on rice yield.Design/methodology/approachEndogenous switching regressions were employed using a survey data of 300 rice-producing households in An Giang and Tra Vinh provinces in 2016.FindingsThe results show that farmers receiving early disaster warnings are more likely to adopt adaptation measures to climate change. If nonadaptors had chosen to respond, their rice yield would have increased by 0.932 tons/ha/season.Research limitations/implicationsThe data sample is small and collected from two provinces in the VMD only; therefore, the results may be specific for the study sites. However, future research can adopt the proposed method for other regions.Originality/valueThe study estimates the production impacts of farmers' decisions on whether or not to adapt to extreme climate events. The proposed approach allows for capturing both observed and unobserved behaviors.

Exploring livelihood transitions in the Mekong delta

Important environmental and economic changes are transforming livelihoods in coastal communes throughout the Mekong delta. In the process, the historical reliance on rice farming and fishing has become less viable and sustainable, forcing households to construct more complex livelihood strategies. To document these livelihood transformations, we have analyzed primary survey data from 346 households across eight coastal communes in Ca Mau Province, located in the southern tip of Vietnam's Mekong delta. We find that there was a great deal of change in the livelihoods of survey respondents over the decade covered by the survey with over 40 per cent of all households reporting a change in their primary source of income. For the most part, these changing livelihood patterns describe a successful adjustment process whereby many households partly or completely left activities that did not offer high returns for other activities that offer more, or were able to combine livelihood activities to successfully adjust. However, we argue that not all fisheries‐based households have the financial or human capital to take advantage of the opportunities arising from Vietnam's seafood boom or economic development more generally. Poverty remains prevalent for those locked into extensive aquaculture and especially farming.

Energy development in Vietnam's Mekong river delta: a 'green' or 'grey' outlook?

The Vietnamese Mekong river delta (MD) is recognised as the biggest agriculture and aquaculture region of Vietnam. The MD plays an important role in ensuring food security for the country. The MD also has many sensitive ecosystems reliant on the ecology of the Mekong river basin. However, during the last decade, many electricity generation plants, both renewable and non-renewable power projects, have been built and some will be built in the near future in the MD. These energy plants' construction and operation may prove to be a challenge to the national energy strategy. This paper is a monograph review of two sides of energy sector industrialisation in the MD with a focus on 'green' and 'grey' socio-economic development (as 'xanh' and 'xam' in Vietnamese respectively). 'Green' energy is understood as the electricity generated from inexhaustible sources and known as renewable energy. It emits fewer greenhouse gases and causes less harm to habitats in comparison to traditional fossil fuels and hydropower. 'Grey' energy is another word for non-renewable energy or polluting energy, which can have negative effects on human health, environment, and climate. This paper finds that the MD's energy development plans at present might not be as 'green' as expected, due to more 'grey' power plans in the planning pipeline. This paper also considers an outlook on energy prices and impacts on long-term sustainable development of the MD.

Examining the interaction of flood vulnerability determinants in Cambodia and Vietnam using partial least squares structural equation modeling

Abstract The formation of vulnerability to natural hazards consists of many driving factors that represent multi-facets of the subjected system. However, the interactions among these components remain unclear and have not been clarified. Examining these internal relationships helps to improve the accuracy of vulnerability assessments and provides needed focus in flood management. This study employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to discover the interrelationship of household flood vulnerability determinants in Cambodia's floodplain and Vietnam's Mekong River Delta. The results show that demographics and social capital have direct influences on flood exposure. In this paper, socioeconomic status can reduce flood effect levels through the mediation of coping capacity. In addition, heterogeneity was also observed between Vietnamese and Cambodian families, highlighting the influence of context on understanding social vulnerability. As the two countries are under threat from hydropower and climate change that profoundly affect flooding, flood management strategies should be improved. The study suggests that the focus should be placed with socioeconomic and coping capacity to sustainably strengthen resilience against flooding.

Are shrimp farmers actual gamblers? An analysis of risk perception and risk management behaviors among shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta

Shrimp farming is considered a “risky business” and often compared to gambling for farmers. It is associated with a diverse range of risks and uncertainties, including volatile markets, climate variability, and production risks. In order to mitigate the effects of unpredictability farmers may decide on a particular stocking density and adopt different risk management strategies. Aquaculture research has paid little attention to the influence played by the evaluation and selection of different farming practices, risk perceptions associated with shrimp farming, and the farmers' confidence in their own ability to mitigate risk. The objective of this paper is to analyze the case of shrimp farming in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, where different types of shrimp farms (extensive, semi-intensive and intensive) co-exist within the same landscape, to identify the underlying factors driving stocking behavior and the adoption of different risk management strategies.A survey of 250 farms showed that perceptions toward different stocking behaviors (from extensive to intensive) varied according to the species raised (Penaeus monodon or P. vannamei) and the type of farm. At low density, farmers consider P. monodon as more productive and easier to adopt than P. vannamei. Adoption of intensive farming practices for both species is negatively associated with risk of disease emergence. However, expected productivity is not a predictor of adoption of intensive shrimp farming practices. Mediation analysis indicates that risk management strategies are significantly influenced by perceived market risk. The perception of this type of risk is a key predictor of risk management strategies. The farmers' lack of access to efficient market risk mitigation measures reflects inadequate or missing regulations or lack of specific value chain organization to mitigate this type of risk. Using a behavioral approach provides new insight on how farmers manage their farms, address risk and implement risk management strategies. It showed that farmers, unlike actual gamblers, adopt diverse management strategies after carefully evaluating species and stocking density as well as critically assessing different sources of risk.

The legal aspects of Ecosystem Services in agricultural land pricing, some implications from a case study in Vietnam's Mekong Delta

Ecosystem economic valuation has been proposed as an appropriate approach to account for natural resources. More specifically, the tangible and intangible values of ecosystem services (ES) associated with specific land uses/land covers have been appreciated by practitioners both in academia and policy arenas as useful accounting means for land use management. This paper explored how the outcomes from ecosystem valuation studies could be utilized to improve the current agricultural land pricing system in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. By reviewing the relevant legal documents, we highlighted some limitations of the current land pricing system and suggested reforms utilizing ES valuation results. By comparing the results of ES evaluation study for the prawn-rice rotational crops (PRRC) areas with their regulated agricultural land prices, one major limitation of the current pricing method was identified, that being its inability to capture the actual land profitability resulting from the classification system of lands which currently typifies PRRC areas as annual crops, similar to rice and vegetables. However, to register a dedicated classification for PRRC can be time consuming and costly due to the complexity of the relevant legal framework. As a response, an ES-based index to account for the differences between PRRC and other cultivation systems without having to thoroughly reform the legal system was recommended. Our recommendation is essentially in harmony with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Decree, which allows for the application of correction factors according to local conditions. As a methodological contribution, this attempt to include ES information in legal systems could facilitate the better standardization of core terminologies and practical guidelines, two of the most important challenges to the mainstreaming of the ES concept in decision making and policy planning.