Small-scale aquaculture in the Mekong Delta often takes place in combination with rice farming or raising livestock. Aquaculture in this case is combined with other farming activities in order to make optimal use of natural resources and seasonal conditions. There are three main types of integrated aquaculture in the Mekong Delta: fish aquaculture
integrated with livestock raising, rice-shrimp culture, and rice-fish culture. 

The rice-prawn model is one of the most productive and suitable economic farming models in the floodplain areas of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Our findings suggest that this farming model should be encouraged in order to decrease the areas under triple-crop rice farming. Seasonal floods still play an important role in the sustainable development of small-scale aquaculture and inland fisheries in floodplain areas of the Mekong Delta. The floodplain areas should not only be used for rice farming, but also for small-scale aquaculture and fisheries development—this could help to decrease the large areas currently under triple-crop rice farming and create environmentally and economically sustainable pathways for agricultural livelihoods in the Delta.