Threats to Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta
Rural communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta are experiencing a loss of traditional ecological knowledge due to climate change, agricultural modernization, and migration, which are transforming local livelihoods.
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a dynamic body of knowledge that develops through experimentation, learning, and interaction with the environment, playing a crucial role in supporting resource-based livelihoods in rural communities.
TEK shapes ways of life, norms, values, and the 'living with floods' cultures of rural communities.
Local narratives of adaptation demonstrate how TEK has evolved through communities' interactions with water environments and their everyday livelihoods, with examples such as fish trap making illustrating this process.
Author's summary: Climate change threatens traditional knowledge.
- Climate change
- Agricultural modernization
- Migration