Dykes, Rice, and Floods in the Mekong Delta

Local dyke building in the An Giang Province of the Mekong Delta has proven controversial. Historically, this area was a natural depression, acting like a huge sponge that would hold flood waters of the Mekong during the rainy season, and release it during the dry. Building dykes to hold back flood waters to grow a third crop has indeed increased the yearly rice yield, but there is a price to pay.