The Mekong river delta plays an important role in the
Vietnamese economy and it has been severely
impacted during this century by a series of unusually
large floods. In the dry season the delta is also
impacted by saline intrusion. These effects have
caused severe human hardship. Recent modeling
(Hoa et al. 2007) predicts that sea-level rise will
enhance flooding in the Mekong river delta, which
may worsen in the long term as a result of estuarine
siltation caused by dam construction.