The geography of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta makes it highly susceptible to climate changeeffects which are believed to worsen in the coming decades. The country’s adaptationpolicies and national discourses have primarily focused on engineering solutions like dykes,seawalls, and sluices. Although investments have bolstered infrastructure development andagriculture productivity, research indicates that these policies have led to a heavily modifiedand engineered delta, raising concerns about environmental sustainability and social equity.Through a policy analysis of Ca Mau Province, we provide insights into the dynamicadaptation policy and the political forces that supported reinforcing dykes and otherdefensive mechanisms rather than nature-based measures, which could arguably be moreeffective. The article explains how the politics of climate adaptation results from the dynamic,multi-level, and multi-actor governance landscape of climate change in Vietnam, as well ashow the preference for built structures impacts negatively local ecosystems and livelihood
