Rice crop evolution in the Mekong Delta

A significant area of rice paddies in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta has been reduced through drought and saltwater intrusion caused by El Nino. In March 2015, about 1.67 million hectares were mapped by the Sentinel-1A satellite. Year later, about 1.39 million hectares were mapped, showing a 16.7% loss in rice area over the year.