Testing this new approach, IUCN is implementing the 3-year project “Increasing Coastal Resilience in the Mekong Delta through Mangrove Restoration and Hybrid Nature-based Solutions” (2024-2026) funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), the global philanthropic arm of The Coca‑Cola Company.
The project aims to expand the area of mangrove inside the sea dike in Can Tho and Ca Mau by piloting and scaling up a hybrid nature-based solution (NbS) that combines mangrove restoration (through natural and assisted regeneration) and the conversion of shrimps production from large, open-air ponds to Integrated Multi-Trophic Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (IMTA-RAS), which produce 20-time more shrimp per unit area basis with much lower disease risk. This conversion will eliminate or greatly reduce the need to pump groundwater to dilute pond water, thereby reducing land subsidence which at 2.5 cm/year is five times greater than global sea level rise.
The project’s primary output is to demonstrate the technical and financial feasibility of hybrid NbS with 45 shrimp-farming households managing 135 hectares of land. With strong provincial government support, by November 2025, the project has helped 21 farms convert to IMTA-RAS with mangrove restoration. A financial analysis on IMTA-RAS conversion has been completed to calculate the Return on Investment (ROI) and inform future investment decisions.
On 11-12 December 2025, IUCN organises a 2-day knowledge-sharing and networking event, along with a field trip in Can Tho City and Ca Mau Province titled “Unlocking sustainable financing for hybrid Nature-based Solutions to increase coastal resilience in the Mekong Delta”. The event brought together 70 participants from local government, farmers, agrobusinesses, banks, Coca-Cola Viet Nam and media. It aims to demonstrate successful RAS-converted farms with environmental and financial benefits for scaling up and replication; raise public’s awareness on hybrid NbS and sustainable aquaculture practices through media engagement; and especially encourage lending and investment on hybrid NbS from investors, financial institutions.
At the event, the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) said that the bank can provide unsecured preferential loans of up to VND 300 million (c. USD 10,000) per household for sustainable agricultural models, in accordance with government decrees. Agribank also offers other support programmes, including digital transformation initiatives and supply chain linkages. De Heus Vietnam, part of the Royal De Heus Group (a global animal feed supplier) can also support farmers by providing livestock feed at lower prices to help reduce aquaculture production costs.
Despite the positive initial results, the project faces challenges and risks related to farmers’ low level of awareness and readiness. Some farmers are hesitant due to the potential impacts of climate change and the high upfront costs of conversion. By engaging a wider range of stakeholders, especially banks, agribusinesses, and local authorities, to support the hybrid NbS model, farmers can receive stronger incentives to convert from their current practices to hybrid NbS. Next, the project will test different models with a range of aquatic species including fish and crabs, not just shrimps, to identify lower-risk, more resilient options for farmers.
