This internship aims to offer students undergoing graduate or post-graduate studies and recent graduates a meaningful work experience by supplementing their learning through a practical and on-the-job training approach. In doing so, the intern’s knowledge is supplemented through a practical learning experience while IUCN derives some level of advantage from the young professional’s services as well as the possibility of gaining new perspectives from the intern.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:


IUCN’s Mekong Delta Program needs research assistance with sedimentation processes and strategies in coastal aquaculture systems in the Mekong Delta.

The Intern will work under the supervision of the Deputy Head of Indo-Burma Group and be based at the IUCN Project Office in HCMC. Travel to project sites will be undertaken in conjunction with IUCN’s Mekong Delta Coastal Habitats project and the Nature Based Solutions to Address the Coastal Squeeze project.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

Research task:

The research will help to quantify the amount of inorganic sediment that is accumulating in the 4 major types of coastal aquaculture systems in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta and link this data to the water management (sluice gate operations) practices of farmers. The 4 major aquaculture systems include: 1) integrated mangrove shrimp; 2) rice-shrimp; 3) extensive shrimp; and 4) intensive shrimp.

The suggested research hypothesis is that land use systems with more frequent connections to waterways accumulate more inorganic sediment than those with less frequent connections which can help mitigate subsidence.

The suggested scope of the research includes:

1. Quantifying the amount of sediment accumulation in shrimp ponds;
2. Identifying the farm water management practices that affect sediment accumulation;
3. Accounting for factors that affect sediment availability at the farm gates including, seasonality, farm locations within the irrigation system, etc.
4. Estimating the potential contribution of the (dry) sediment accumulation towards elevation over time;
5. Farmer perceptions of sediment benefits and costs.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES and DELIVERABLES:

• Data from field sampling and interviews;
• A research paper.


Duration: August – December 2022
Office base: Ho Chi Minh City

While based at the HCMC Project Office, the Intern will report to and be supervised by the Deputy Head of Indo-Burma Group in addition to his/her Academic Supervisors at the student’s home institution.