Remote sensing to assess shrimp farming development in Haiphong, Vietnam.
Abstract Remote sensing (RS) was used to detect land use changes caused by shrimp farming and other activities, to examine the status of shrimp farming, and to recommend a management guideline for sustainable shrimp farming development. The study was conducted at Doson and Kienthuy districts of Haiphong, Vietnam, during June-December 2002. Three images for dates in 1990, 1995 and 2000 were used. The images were radiometrically normalized and geometrically registered to a UTM map projection. Each image was separately classified into different categories of aquaculture ponds, agricultural land, salt farms, village mixed orchards, urban and build-up land, mangroves, rangeland, hill-land forest and open water. Visual image classification in conjunction with associated topographic maps and related reports was employed on all images. The classified images produced were analysed for changes in each land use category by overlaying them in a geographical information system (GIS) framework. The results indicated a significant increase of mangrove area from mudflat area and shrimp pond area from agricultural land and salt farms. Shrimp pond area increased rapidly from 491 ha in 1990 to 607 ha and 1,690 ha in 1995 and 2000, respectively. The study suggests that the growth of shrimp aquaculture must be done on a regulated basis to minimize environmental degradation and guide shrimp farming development towards the sustainable use of coastal resources.