Cultural Ecosystem Services and the Role of Local Knowledge in Shaping Vietnam's Coastal Cultural Industries: Insights from Red River Delta Communities

Abstract

This study examines the role of Cultural Ecosystem Services and local knowledge in shaping coastal cultural industries in Vietnam’s Red River Delta. Employing a mixed-methods design, comprising Participatory Ecosystem Framework surveys and stakeholder interviews conducted across three coastal provinces, the research demonstrates how Cultural Ecosystem Services - including aesthetic appreciation, spiritual values, and ecological knowledge - are deeply embedded in community life and sustain diverse cultural practices. The findings indicate that local knowledge is central to climate adaptation, fisheries management, and heritage conservation, despite increasing pressures from environmental degradation, out-migration, and infrastructure constraints. The study identifies both resilience and vulnerability in Cultural Ecosystem Services dynamics and proposes an integrative framework that bridges indigenous knowledge, cultural policy, and ecosystem-based planning. Policy implications call for the incorporation of Cultural Ecosystem Services into national development strategies, investment in human capital and digital infrastructure, and sustained support for community-led cultural enterprises. By centering Cultural Ecosystem Services and local knowledge, this research advances a pathway toward culturally grounded and ecologically resilient development in Vietnam’s coastal regions.