In the Mekong Delta, the overuse of groundwater, driven by climate change, population growth, and intensive farming, has led to serious consequences. Land is sinking. Salty water is moving further inland. And the pressure on local livelihoods and ecosystems is growing. While national policies like Decree 167 from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment aim to improve groundwater management, putting these ideas into practice at the local level remains a challenge. The reasons are many: fragmented governance, limited data, low awareness among communities, and a lack of shared spaces where different stakeholders can come together to talk and act.
That’s why our project introduced the Groundwater Serious Game, an interactive learning tool designed to open up conversations, raise awareness, and help communities explore realistic solutions together.
Why local voices are essential
Groundwater is invisible, but its impacts are deeply felt at the community level. Farmers and residents notice when wells dry up or when their crops suffer due to saline intrusion. They understand the rhythms of the land, and many have already begun to adjust storing water, switching crops, or relying on traditional knowledge to cope with scarcity.
By listening to these experiences, we not only gain better insight into the problems but also discover what is already being tried and what kinds of support are still missing.
Groundwater Serious Game Project staffs interviewing with local farmers in Ben Tre and Soc Trang Provinces
From observation to shared understanding
One of the biggest challenges in groundwater management is that the resource is shared, but the decisions are often made in isolation. A single farm’s choices can affect water availability for the whole area. That’s why local dialogue is so important. Through the Serious Game workshops in Ben Tre and Soc Trang, participants saw the bigger picture: how individual actions add up, and how coordinated strategies could lead to better outcomes for everyone. When people are part of the process, they are more willing to negotiate, adapt, and find common ground.
Making national policies work on the ground
Policies like Decree 167 provide important frameworks but they need local buy-in to be effective. Community input can help identify what’s practical, what’s missing, and how to build trust in proposed solutions. The Serious Game gives space for these conversations to happen. It creates a shared language between farmers, local officials, technical experts, and students. And it turns complex topics like aquifer recharge or water-saving investments into accessible, concrete experiences.
Ultimately, we believe that communities are not just recipients of solutions. They are co-creators of change. Their knowledge, choices, and voices shape how sustainable groundwater use will look in practice.
