According to the nature of soil, water and the type of cultivation, the Mekong Delta is divided into three characteristic regions: salty, sweet and alum. The maintenance and development of livelihoods for rural people, especially people in areas with difficult natural conditions such as salinity, alum and drought, ... in the context of Climate change, sea level rise, environmental pollution, natural disasters, epidemics are challenges and many difficulties for Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta in particular. Through the assessment of models of waste prevention, reduction and treatment associated with existing livelihood activities of rural people in the Mekong Delta, at the same time identifying issues that need concern, research has proposed a set of criteria for developing a model to prevent and minimize, and disposing of waste in accordance with the specific natural conditions of the Mekong Delta for rural people. The criterion set consists of 22 specific criteria and divided into 05 groups: (1) livelihood criteria group, (2) environmental criteria group, (3) ecological criterion group, (4) economic criteria group and (5) sustainability criteria group. The set of criteria will orient and identify waste prevention, reduction and treatment models to maintain and develop sustainably eco-oriented livelihoods for rural people in areas with special conditions difficulties (saline and alum contaminated areas) in the Mekong Delta.