The historical legacy of waterscape changes in Can Tho, Vietnam and the social implications on water access today

Abstract

This paper examines historical legacies left on the Mekong Delta's waterscape during French colonization in Vietnam and the implications this has had on the complex ways peri-urban residents access water today for diverse purposes. French colonialism began constructing various transportation networks and extensive canal systems, all resulting in changes to farming village dynamics. Today, the Delta is home to active citizens who have the historical legacy of colonial infrastructure providing the means to combat the vulnerabilities that are often prevalent in periurban areas. Periurban landscapes are in a state of constant change where farming activities are juxtaposed with commercial and/or residential activities. This paper discusses the relationship between the changing waterscape and the social strategies that developed over time in response to the changing landscape. I explore some pertinent resiliency literature alongside extensive fieldwork to understand how the infrastructural interventions of the French relate to resilience today. This paper contributes to the wider literature about the importance of Delta systems in South and Southeast Asia, as all have experienced important transformations.

Guest Editorial: Geographies of engagement, livelihoods and possibility in South and Southeast Asian deltas

“…(2021, this issue), who likewise use data from a household survey to document the livelihood pathways of landholding households moving steadily away from rice cultivation over a period of 15 years. Allen's paper (2021, this issue), also based on research in the Mekong Delta, similarly notes the way in which semi‐urban living and ready access to urban work in Can Tho complicates the notion of the rural and agricultural, providing scope to build livelihood resiliency in the countryside through various urban encounters and opportunities. Vicol and Pritchard (2021, this issue) show how the Ayeyarwady Delta's history has left it with a highly concentrated landholding structure characterized by high levels of landlessness and relatively few small farms.…”