This spring, Nhung Lu Rots will start in her new position as a PhD candidate working for the Transsustain project. Her research focuses on traditional ecological knowledge and grassroots environmentalism in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The Mekong Delta is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse regions in the country, inhabited not only by Vietnamese but also by Khmer, Cham, and ethnic Chinese minorities, which faces severe environmental problems.
The project will be based on ethnographic fieldwork at several sites in the region. It studies local initiatives that aim to reduce the human impact on the environment. In particular, it examines several religious volunteer groups and leaders, looking at their responses to climate change and the ways in which they mobilize followers to tackle environmental problems and climate emergencies. The project also studies traditional ecological knowledge in the region, in order to answer the question of whether this knowledge can contribute to sustainable water management today.
Nhung has a background in development economics, statistics, and environmental humanities, and a strong interest in interdisciplinary research. Her recent experience working for the ERC- funded project “Whales of Power” at IKOS has given her the opportunity to examine the whale worship tradition practiced among fishing communities in the context of social, economic, and environmental change in Vietnam. She has written articles and essays on various topics, including environmental disasters, deforestation, renewable energy, and sustainable seafood consumption.