According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to enhance climate resilience of agricultural production activities and rural communities in selected areas of Viet Nam’s Mekong Delta Region.

The proposed MERIT project helps to operationalize the vision and strategies laid out in the 2022 Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan and address current and future climate change impacts. The project would (i) enhance the information and management tools to support adaptive delta management; (ii) build new infrastructure and repurpose and upgrade existing regional infrastructure to enhance climate resilience and promote more sustainable and climate-smart management of water and land resources; and (iii) facilitate climate-smart livelihoods transition and diversification, value chains development, dynamic agro-entrepreneurship, and an accelerated adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

The project’s overall environmental risk is Substantial, reflecting civil works across four subprojects in Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, and Can Tho, including offshore wave-reduction embankments along eroding coastlines, large-scale canal dredging generating approximately 2.5 million cubic meters of dredged material, and construction of navigation locks, culverts, ring dykes, and associated structures. Works occur in a sensitive environment characterised by acid sulfate and saline soils and interconnected waterways under stress from upstream sediment reduction, sea-level rise, land subsidence, and salinity intrusion. Key risks include: water quality degradation and mobilisation of acidity and toxic metals from acid sulfate soils; disturbance to benthic communities and estuarine habitats; transport and disposal of acid sulfate bearing dredged material; obstruction of fish migration and disruption of ecological connectivity through locks and sluices; alteration of tidal, salinity, and sediment dynamics; impacts on communities, sensitive receptors, and cultural heritage; UXO hazards; and occupational and community health and safety risks. Several sites lie in proximity to Tram Chim National Park, Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, and Go Thap Muoi Nature Reserve. Cumulative and transboundary considerations apply given connections to the broader Mekong system, and climate hazards — sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, storm surge, and extreme rainfall — are to be addressed through climate-informed design and the ESIAs. Components 1 and 3 involve no physical works, present Low environmental risk, and are expected to generate indirect positive environmental effects through improved hydrological monitoring and promotion of climate-smart agribusiness.

The project’s social risk is currently assessed as Substantial. The main social risks arise from the nature and scale of the land acquisition, the livelihood impacts, the presence of vulnerable and ethnic minority communities, and community health and safety risks associated with construction and labor influx. Infrastructure works — including upgrading embankments, constructing sluice gates, rehabilitating canals — will acquire approximately 122 hectares of public land and 127 hectares of private land. One hundred and fourty one (141) households will be affected by land acquisition, of which, 34 households will need to be physically relocated. All of these physically relocated households were consulted and have expressed a preference for self-relocation, as they want to build house on their garden land which is near the acquired residence. Resettlement impacts mainly include loss of agricultural land; loss of assets attached to land; and disruption to livelihoods. Around 11 households will lose more than 30 percent of their productive land, requiring targeted livelihood restoration measures. Ethnic minorities in the project area are not subject to land acquisition; but might face adverse impacts which are temporary and limited to the construction phase of Component 2; and risk of exclusion from agribusiness and digital activities due to language barriers, lower literacy, limited cooperative membership, and restricted digital access under Component 3. Component 1 carries a low social risk rating, as it involves no civil works, land acquisition, or direct community intervention. During construction, the project may pose significant community health and safety risks, including increased traffic accidents, restricted access to homes and farming areas, and exposure to dust, noise, vibration, and hazardous materials.

Total Project Cost: US$ 231.81 million
IBRD Commitment: US$ 181.61 million
Government of Australia: US$ 7.07 million
Borrower/Recipient: US$ 50.20 million

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Phuong Hoang Ai Nguyen
Title: Senior Environmental Specialist
Email: pnguyen5@worldbank.org

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ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint