Vulnerability and Resilience to Drought and Saltwater Intrusion of Rice Farming Households in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

Adverse impacts of climate and environmental hazards are unevenly distributed between socioeconomic groups due to differences in exposure, vulnerability and resilience. This study examines the distribution of vulnerability and resilience to drought and salt intrusion impacts among rice farmers in the rural Mekong Delta in Vietnam. By defining both aspects independently, we can study potential differences in the socio-economic factors that steer them and analyse how these two aspects of adaptive capacity are related. Using fixed-effect regressions, we find that poorer communes are more vulnerable to direct environmental impacts (loss in rice yield). Several household characteristics that reflect a low socioeconomic status, such as low asset values, small plots, and limited education level, are linked with higher vulnerability to direct drought impacts. High vulnerability does, however, not necessarily translate to low resilience, which we proxy by measuring indirect impacts (loss in household income). Several household activities and characteristics help mitigate indirect impacts. Our results suggest that the least resilient household group consists of smallholder, asset-low households that are unable to diversify to non-crop agriculture or off-farm employment. Supportive policies targeting this particular socioeconomic group to enable transition to non-crop or off-farm labour would substantially improve their resilience to future environmental events. Distinguishing between resilience and vulnerability enables a broader understanding of the mechanisms influencing the distribution of direct and indirect adverse impacts, which enables drafting targeted policy measures for specific socioeconomic groups.