The Red River-Thai Binh basin in northern Vietnam is situated within a rapidly developing area, in which water, energy, food, and environmental (WEFE) sectors are strongly connected. Increasing pressures from climate change, population growth, and economic development intensify competition over water resources, resulting in complex trade-offs between these sectors. This study explores these interactions through a WEFE nexus perspective, with the aim of identifying suitable methods and indicators for an integrated system assessment.

The first part of this report consists of a literature review of the entire Red River–Thai Binh basin, analysing the key developments and challenges within each of the WEFE sectors. This provides a broad system understanding and identifies the main drivers and interactions characterising the basin.

The second part of the report presents two case studies that reflect different parts of the basin and highlight specific WEFE interactions. The first case study focuses on the Thac Ba dam reservoir system in the upstream area, where hydropower generation, flood control, and the livelihoods of communities surrounding the dam must be balanced. The second case study examines the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system in the downstream area, where water is primarily used for agriculture and where water quality has become a critical concern due to pollution.

The study combines literature research, field visits, social surveys, actor- and stakeholder analyses, water balance modelling, and system dynamics modelling. Based on these analyses, a set of potential indicators is proposed to assess system performance within a WEFE nexus framework.

The results show strong links between water quantity and quality, energy production, agricultural demand, and climate change. Upstream, key trade-offs are observed between hydropower generation and downstream flood risk, and between water availability and agricultural vulnerability under both extreme wet and dry conditions. In the downstream system, pollution from upstream areas and limited wastewater treatment capacity significantly affect water quality. In addition, the results indicate increasing system vulnerability to both water scarcity and flooding, driven by climate change and ongoing human interventions. Governance challenges and fragmented stakeholder responsibilities further complicate effective system management.

This study demonstrates the value of combining qualitative and quantitative methods and provides a foundation for selecting indicators that capture WEFE dynamics. The findings contribute to a better understanding of water resource management challenges in the Red River-Thai Binh basin and support the development of a WEFE Nexus tool to assess the whole Red River-Thai Binh basin.