Flood risk and social resilience evolution in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta in the documented history

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), located in the lower Mekong River, is interwoven with thousands of small tributaries, receiving an abundant water supply from various natural sources. The region has faced severe flooding challenges for thousands of years. Meanwhile, the people at the VMD have survived over a long history and developed remarkable resilience to flood impacts. Their intelligence and practices have formed what is known as the “Water-rice civilization”. This study aims to investigate and answer three key questions regarding flood in the VMD: (1) How has the flood situation changed in the past? (2) What has been the extent of flood impacts on local communities? and (3) how have people improved long-term resilience to floods? To conduct the research, qualitative analysis was carried out through a literature review of multiple historical sources such as “Gia Dinh Citadel History” and existing research using MAXQDA software. Findings reveal the inseparable bond between residents and the river environment in the VMD, highlighting the evolution of various flood coping strategies, including living on islets, river islands, stilt houses, and cultivating crops on wetlands pre-during-post “floating seasons” (Mùa nước nổi), despite political upheavals and invasions. Keywords: Flood resilience; long-term adaptation; living-with-flood; Water-rice Civilization; floating seasons; Mekong Delta