The Mekong Delta, Vietnam, faces increasing challenges from salinity intrusion, particularly in agricultural areas where groundwater depletion has intensified water scarcity. Farmers heavily rely on groundwater for irrigation, yet sustainable water storage solutions remain limited. Addressing these challenges is critical to ensuring long-term water security and resilience in the region.

Recognizing this urgency, the Vietnamese government introduced Decree 167/2018/ND-CP on Groundwater Extraction to mitigate land subsidence and groundwater salinization. However, implementing this decree remains a challenge due to insufficient data, limited awareness, lack of coordination, and inadequate monitoring systems. To address these challenges, the Negotiating Groundwater Serious Game Project was launched in 2023 to facilitate productive dialogue between local governments and water users – such as farmers, factories, and residents on groundwater use in their daily activities.

At the present, the project has entered a new phase, shifting its focus towards deeper community engagement to support local people in adopting sustainable groundwater management solutions. It fosters collaboration with commune households, local businesses, and governments to co-design solutions, raise awareness, and build capacity for more sustainable water use and conservation.