In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the lure of moving to the city grows even stronger amid climate shocks

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL
Associated Press

CAN THO, Vietnam (AP) — The lure of the city has always been strong for the poor in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Millions have moved from the mostly agricultural region to big cities like Ho Chi Minh City for factory jobs that offer them a chance to get ahead. One 11-year-old boy living on a rickety houseboat on a distributary of the Mekong River with his grandmother dreams of becoming a singer. But he says he knows it’s unrealistic and he’ll end up going to the city to make a living. Experts say it’s a movement that may accelerate in coming years from climate shocks in a region that is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable.