The Impacts of Devolution Policy on Mangrove Forest Management for Aquaculture in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam: Household Data

To assess the impacts of devolution policies, institutional arrangements, and economic factors on mangrove coverage within mixed shrimp–mangrove farming systems. Survey design and coverage The survey was conducted in communes across six coastal provinces of southern Vietnam: Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Bac Lieu. From these provinces, eight study sites were selected.

Data collection was carried out through face-to-face interviews. Each respondent completed a structured questionnaire consisting of three parts: (i) general information about the household, (ii) perceptions of mangroves, and (iii) aquaculture activities. The final sample included 659 mixed mangrove–shrimp farms.

Measurement of mangrove indicators Mangrove coverage was assessed using two complementary approaches: Self-reported estimates provided by farm managers through the household survey. Satellite-derived measures, based on farm-level coordinates collected during the survey. These coordinates were used to delineate farm boundaries in Google Earth, allowing for objective calculation of mangrove coverage.

Timeframe: The household survey was conducted between 2011 and 2016 in southern Vietnam.