Socio-economic development in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is shaped
by a complex web of interacting and dynamic trends. Based on the analysis of
statistical data, special reports, planning documents and scienti fi c literature, the
chapter examines the key dimensions of such trends, paying particular attention to
agricultural transformation, industrialization, migration and urbanization. It is
argued that changes in these fi elds have been producing ambiguous economic neteffects
and socially strati fi ed development outcomes over the last decades. On the
one hand, the agricultural sector in the Mekong Delta has been experiencing
profound production gains due to de-collectivization, expansion, intensi fi cation and
diversi fi cation. This has contributed to overall poverty reduction in the Delta and to
the economic progress of the entire country. On the other hand, the Mekong Delta
lags behind the national average in terms of many development indicators in the
socio-economic sphere (e.g. education levels or housing conditions). Under stress
from multiple economic and environmental pressures and risks, small-scale farmers increasingly have dif fi culties securing a minimum level of pro fi tability and a stable
livelihood base. Rising inequalities, high incidences of landlessness, and labour
migration, notably into urban areas, are among the most signi fi cant consequences.
At the same time, industrial development falls short of earlier expectations.
The Delta’s secondary and tertiary sectors are presently unable to suf fi ciently absorb
the former agricultural labour force. As a result, strong outmigration occurs, most
importantly to Ho Chi Minh City and its neighbouring provinces. Guided by development
theory we argue that next to the neoclassical expansion of conventional
capital stocks for fostering endogenous growth potentials, development in the
Mekong Delta heavily depends on institutional factors, enabling social and economic
development. Aspects such as the need for improved access to land or for
extended education and professional training, more integrated planning, and
intensi fi ed promotion of economic innovations are discussed in detail.