I’ve been excited for the Mekong Delta day all week. The visit was everything I could have hoped for and more. Eating fresh honey, riding in a canoe under the mangroves, and feeding alligators was a blast. But most of all, I had fun running in a giant hamster ball. It’s not what comes to mind when you think of a trip to the Mekong Delta, but it certainly made my day.

We’ve been taught in class about the economic and food security problems facing the Delta region. Climate change is causing sea levels to rise across the world, increasing salinity in the Mekong river. This threatens the food security of Vietnam as the Mekong Delta produces 50% of Vietnam’s rice harvest and three quarters of its fruit and aquaculture. The salty water is already killing crops and forcing farmers to adjust to a new way of life. A significant new source of income for the population in the Mekong area is tourism. During our tour today, we got a close look at the local economy. I didn’t see any poverty and the local houses seemed to be in good shape. Many people were working the booths and getting a lot of sales in their shops. The visit felt very professionally done and there were many attractions to check out. However, the poverty may be hidden from tourists. It’s in the best interest of the farmers to show some wealth and make the experience as good as possible for tourists. Leaving the delta, I still have many questions about the economic state of the area. I’d love to learn more about what can be done to help the residents of the Mekong and what steps should be made to reduce damage by rising sea levels.