Farming and Flooding

Abstract

This thesis explores citizen participation in flood mitigation projects within the Dutch Delta and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The main objective is to understand how farmers have adapted to and influenced flood mitigation initiatives in these regions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with local farmers and experts to gather data and insights. As climate change intensifies flood risks, finding alternative solutions is crucial. In flood management, there has been a paradigm shift from ‘the fight against floods’ towards ‘letting water in sometimes’. This research uses the hydrosocial cycle as a theoretical lens and analyses society and water as interconnective. The results of this research suggest that differences in context explain the different ways of dealing with floods, flood mitigation projects and participation.

In the Vietnamese context, farmers do not implement the 3-3-2 cycle, a flood mitigation project, in large numbers. The 3-3-2 cycle fails to understand the little benefits that rainwater provides soil for the farmers. Farmers in this delta also receive little to no financial compensation in case of damage. Farmers in this area thus have to create and use their own flood protection measures, such as low dykes, floating rice cultivation and stilt houses. The solutions used in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta are characterised by being low-cost, quick and flexible.

In the Dutch context, farmers have been part of a participatory program that left them with little choice but to work together. Farmers have created their own solution for flood mitigation, the so-called terp plan. This solution was long-stretched and high-cost. The polder is estimated to flood once every 25 years. Therefore, the effect on the ecology is minimal. This research underscores the importance of citizen participation and need for local knowledge in order to create better and more inclusive policies, which might ultimately lead to greater resilience in the future of flooding challenges.