IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ediscc/v7y2023i3d10.1007_s41885-023-00133-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • M. A. Aalst

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Deltares)

  • E. Koomen

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • H. L. F. Groot

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
    Tinbergen Institute)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • M. A. Aalst & E. Koomen & H. L. F. Groot, 2023. "Vulnerability and Resilience to Drought and Saltwater Intrusion of Rice Farming Households in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 407-430, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ediscc:v:7:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s41885-023-00133-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s41885-023-00133-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41885-023-00133-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41885-023-00133-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anh Tuan Bui & Mardi Dungey & Cuong Viet Nguyen & Thu Phuong Pham, 2014. "The impact of natural disasters on household income, expenditure, poverty and inequality: evidence from Vietnam," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(15), pages 1751-1766, May.
    2. Noy, Ilan, 2009. "The macroeconomic consequences of disasters," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 221-231, March.
    3. Stephen A. Rhoades, 1993. "The Herfindahl-Hirschman index," Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), issue Mar, pages 188-189.
    4. Brian Walsh & Stéphane Hallegatte, 2020. "Measuring Natural Risks in the Philippines: Socioeconomic Resilience and Wellbeing Losses," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 249-293, July.
    5. Narloch, Ulf & Bangalore, Mook, 2018. "The multifaceted relationship between environmental risks and poverty: new insights from Vietnam," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 298-327, June.
    6. Stephane Hallegatte & Julie Rozenberg, 2017. "Climate change through a poverty lens," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(4), pages 250-256, April.
    7. Toya, Hideki & Skidmore, Mark, 2007. "Economic development and the impacts of natural disasters," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 20-25, January.
    8. Narloch, Ulf & Bangalore, Mook, 2018. "The multifaceted relationship between environmental risks and poverty: new insights from Vietnam," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87553, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Terry Cannon, 2008. "Reducing People's Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Communities and Resilience," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2008-34, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Nguyen Xuan Hoan & Dao Nguyen Khoi & Luu Duc Trung, 2019. "Assessing the adaptive capacity of farmers under the impact of saltwater intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(9), pages 1619-1635, July.
    11. J. Birkmann & O. Cardona & M. Carreño & A. Barbat & M. Pelling & S. Schneiderbauer & S. Kienberger & M. Keiler & D. Alexander & P. Zeil & T. Welle, 2013. "Framing vulnerability, risk and societal responses: the MOVE framework," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 67(2), pages 193-211, June.
    12. Neil Adger, W., 1999. "Social Vulnerability to Climate Change and Extremes in Coastal Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 249-269, February.
    13. Quan H. Nguyen & Dung D. Tran & Khoi K. Dang & Dorien Korbee & Luan D. M. H. Pham & Lan T. Vu & Tang T. Luu & Loc H. Ho & Phat T. Nguyen & Trang T. T. Ngo & Dung T. K. Nguyen & Andrew Wyatt & Maaike v, 2020. "Land‐use dynamics in the Mekong delta: From national policy to livelihood sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 448-467, May.
    14. Ilan Noy & Rio Yonson, 2018. "Economic Vulnerability and Resilience to Natural Hazards: A Survey of Concepts and Measurements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    15. Salvucci, Vincenzo & Santos, Ricardo, 2020. "Vulnerability to Natural Shocks: Assessing the Short-Term Impact on Consumption and Poverty of the 2015 Flood in Mozambique," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    16. Kind, Jarl & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Aerts, Jeroen C. J. H., 2020. "Social vulnerability in cost-benefit analysis for flood risk management," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 115-134, April.
    17. Thijs Poelma & Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak & Duong Nha & Thong Anh Tran, 2021. "Climate change and livelihood resilience capacities in the Mekong Delta: a case study on the transition to rice–shrimp farming in Vietnam’s Kien Giang Province," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-20, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Arouri, Mohamed & Nguyen, Cuong & Youssef, Adel Ben, 2015. "Natural Disasters, Household Welfare, and Resilience: Evidence from Rural Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 59-77.
    2. Barbora Sedova & Matthias Kalkuhl & Robert Mendelsohn, 2020. "Distributional Impacts of Weather and Climate in Rural India," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 5-44, April.
    3. Noy, Ilan & Yonson, Rio, 2016. "A survey of the theory and measurement of economic vulnerability and resilience to natural hazards," Working Paper Series 19394, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Ilan Noy & Rio Yonson, 2018. "Economic Vulnerability and Resilience to Natural Hazards: A Survey of Concepts and Measurements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Dang, Hai-Anh H. & Hallegatte, Stephane & Trinh, Trong-Anh, 2023. "Does global warming worsen poverty and inequality? An updated review," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120701, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Yonson, Rio & Noy, Ilan, 2018. "Measurement of economic welfare risk and resilience of the Philippine regions," Working Paper Series 20319, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    7. Elena Paglialunga & Andrea Coveri & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Climate change and inequality in a global context. Exploring climate induced disparities and the reaction of economic systems," Working Papers 2003, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2020.
    8. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Ho, Shan-Ju & Wu, Ting-Pin, 2021. "The impact of natural disaster on energy consumption: International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    9. Alexandru Bănică & Karima Kourtit & Peter Nijkamp, 2020. "Natural disasters as a development opportunity: a spatial economic resilience interpretation," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 40(2), pages 223-249, October.
    10. Risa Nakamura & Akiyuki Kawasaki, 2022. "Quantitative Evaluation of Flood Control Measures and Educational Support to Reduce Disaster Vulnerability of the Poor Based on Household-level Savings Estimates," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 355-371, July.
    11. Muhammad Tariq Iqbal Khan & Sofia Anwar & Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie & Muhammad Rizwan Yaseen & Abdul Majeed Nadeem & Qamar Ali, 2023. "Natural disasters, resilience-building, and risk: achieving sustainable cities and human settlements," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 118(1), pages 611-640, August.
    12. Rituparna Kaushik & Yashobanta Parida & Ravikiran Naik, 2024. "Human development and disaster mortality: evidence from India," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    13. Paglialunga, Elena & Coveri, Andrea & Zanfei, Antonello, 2022. "Climate change and within-country inequality: New evidence from a global perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    14. Rio Yonson, 2018. "Floods and Pestilence: Diseases in Philippine Urban Areas," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 107-135, July.
    15. Calvin Mudzingiri & Gibson Mudiriza & Getrude Jana & Regret Sunge, 2024. "The effect of local climatic conditions on household consumption: a case study of South Africa," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Veeshan Rayamajhee & Alok K. Bohara & Virgil Henry Storr, 2020. "Ex-Post Coping Responses and Post-Disaster Resilience: a Case from the 2015 Nepal Earthquake," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 575-599, October.
    17. Keerthiratne, Subhani & Tol, Richard S.J., 2018. "Impact of natural disasters on income inequality in Sri Lanka," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 217-230.
    18. Trung X. Hoang & Nga V. T. Le, 2021. "Natural disasters and risk aversion: Evidence from Vietnam," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(3), pages 211-229, August.
    19. Cécile Couharde & Rémi Generoso, 2015. "Hydro-climatic thresholds and economic growth reversals in developing countries: an empirical investigation," EconomiX Working Papers 2015-26, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    20. van Bergeijk, P.A.G. & Lazzaroni, S., 2013. "Macroeconomics of natural disasters," ISS Working Papers - General Series 50075, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ediscc:v:7:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s41885-023-00133-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.