Vulnerability, Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Northwest Mountainous Regions of Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. Within the country, the Northwest Mountainous Regions (NMRs) are considered some of the most vulnerable communities, due to topography and socio-economic factors. Therefore, targeted adaptation is increasingly seen as both a necessary and urgent response. However, the extent and dimensions of vulnerability need to be carefully examined in order to develop effective adaptation pathways. This research aimed to explore vulnerability, resilience, adaptation to climate change in the NMRs, particularly among ethnic communities. Specifically, we aimed to (1) identify which communities are more vulnerable to climate change, (2) identify differences in measures of farmers’ household resilience among communities, and (3) investigate the major factors contributing to farmers’ adaptation choices in relation to climate change. The case studies are located in the Phu Yen district of Son La province in the NMRs. Data were collected in the field from late 2018 to early 2019. Primary data is from interviews and field observations, as well as insights from local decision-makers, resource managers, scientists. Climate data, which could be compared to perceptions of climate change, was collected from the Phu Yen meteorological station and the Hydro-Meteorological Data Centre of Vietnam (HMDC) from 1961 to 2017. The resulting vulnerability assessment, based on a set of indicators quantified from respondents’ self-reporting, indicates that two of the ethnic communities were, on average, more vulnerable, particularly on livelihood strategies, health, water, housing and productive land, and social networks components when compared to the other two ethnic communities. Our study also reveals that indicators of household livelihood resilience differed between ethnic communities and between genders, with ethnicity being relatively more important than gender in determining outcomes. The research identified a number of areas where changes of institutional and socio-economic factors could increase livelihood resilience scores. There is also evidence of potential benefits in targeted resilience programs. Among ethnic groups, women’s responses showed, on average, a lower resilience than those of men. The study found that a high percentage of farmers had noticed changes in the frequency of particular climate attributes and climate hazards, somewhat in line with climate data. To cope with these changes, recorded adaptation strategies applied in the study region included crop management and protection (soil and plant), diversifying crop, finding off-farm jobs, and changing crop varieties. Survey respondents also identified obstacles to adaptation measures, such as lack of credit, lack of family labour, insufficient agricultural inputs, limited farm size, and difficulties in assessing updated weather information. Regression results from binary logistic models reveal that age, gender, farm size, irrigation, extension services, credit availability, level of education and updated climate information have a significant influence on farmers’ preference for adaptation strategies regarding climate change and climate hazards.