Title:
Flood-Based Lotus Farming as a Nature-Based Solution in Climate-adaptive Agriculture in the Upper Vietnamese Mekong Delta: An Analytical Argument With Typical Cases

Authors:
Trinh Phuoc Nguyen, Viet Nam

Abstract:

This article analyzes flood-based lotus farming as a nature-based solution (NbS) for climate-adaptive agriculture in Vietnam's upper Mekong Delta. The research design synthesizes secondary literature, using project reports from Láng Sen and Trà Sư as two core empirical cases; the study by Vo et al. (2021) in Đồng Tháp as an explanatory case to understand how lotus was shaped into an adaptive innovation; and a lotus value-chain report covering An Giang, Đồng Tháp, and former Long An, together with documents on lotus silk, to examine the conditions for value-chain upgrading and model scaling. The findings show that lotus broadly fits the NbS logic in three respects: (i) it generates hydrological–ecological co-benefits within floodplain environments; (ii) it creates agronomic co-benefits for the subsequent rice crop; and (iii) it opens opportunities for organizing a multi-layered value chain linked to processing, employment, and local branding. However, these benefits are not automatic. Evidence from the illustrative cases indicates that lotus performance depends closely on hydrological thresholds, cropping calendars, risk-management capacity, and the depth of market linkages. The article argues that lotus should not be treated as a standalone substitute crop but as a component of a flood-based livelihood system; accordingly, the sustainable future of the model must rest on three pillars: floodplain spatial planning, adaptive hydrological governance, and value-chain upgrading grounded in NbS logic.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijaemr.2026.11321