A playful and curious local stops at an overpassing bridge. Over 17 million people live within the vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands known as the Mekong Delta.

Siblings pose for the camera in a small village along side a river of the Delta. Many people rely heavily upon the delta as a foundation for their way of life. This area is essential for fishing, agriculture and tourism. 

Vietnam's population is growing rapidly with over 25% of its population being under the age of 24. With a recent push for higher education, many families living in the delta are sending their children off to larger cities to attend university and seek bigger opportunities. 

Friendly faces from a river boat tour company welcome visitors to the Rừng tràm Trà Sư, an ecological park located in the An Giang Province. Tourism is a large component of the modern Vietnamese economy, and continues to rise.

A guide docks his boat after completing a tour of the intertwining streams and rivers of  Rừng tràm Trà Sư park. Aside from tourism, river boats are a primary means of transportation. There is one boat in almost every household within the area. 

Recently, the delta has experienced the negative externalities of climate change, recording deeper droughts, heavier rains, larger floods and much hotter temperatures than ever before.  With these new environmental challenges comes difficulty in finding sustainable work and income.

A cluster of river boats gently sway in the calm waters of the Delta. This area greats over 10 million tourists a year earning a a total toursim turnover of more thatn 2.56 trillion VND.

This deep and densely wooded area encloses a variety of intertwining rivers and streams that stem to form the Mekong River. This area encompasses a large range of climatic zones and is home to a diverse and abundant variety of wildlife and vegetation.