In 2003, of the 78 million people in Vietnam, almost a third (24 million) live in the Red River basin, including over 17 million people in the delta itself. There are many large industrial zones in the Red River Delta clustering in
Viet Tri, Hanoi, Haiphong and
Nam Dinh. Most of the population works in rice cultivation but the delta region hosts other important economic activities such as
fisheries,
aquaculture,
land reclamation for agriculture, harbor construction,
mangrove forestry, etc. The socio-economic development in the delta is also affected by seasonal
storms,
flooding,
coastal erosion,
silting,
salt water intrusion, etc. Though the Red River Delta makes up only 5% of Vietnam's land, 30% of the country's population live there, making it the most densely populated part of the country. 80% of the population are employed in agriculture, but the agricultural lands of the delta amount to only about .3-.5
hectares per household, making the limited supply of arable lands a significant constraint to improving living standards. Agriculturally the Red River Delta is the second most important
rice-producing area in Vietnam, accounting for 20% of the national crop. Production of rice is close to optimal with very little
yield gap to exploit and employing
double cropping techniques to achieve close to maximum yields. However the rich soil of the delta does present a possibility of crop diversification and there is potential for further development of aquaculture. With these developmental pressures the estuarine environment and ecosystem face degradation due to threats of pollution, over-fishing and aquaculture destroying natural habitats. ==See also==