Climate Change-Induced Water Disaster and Participatory Information
System for Vulnerability Reduction in North Central Vietnam (CPIS)

Tran Ngoc Anh, Dang Dinh Kha, Dang Dinh Duc, Nguyen Thanh Son (2014). Hydraulic modelling for flood vulnerability assessment, case study in river basins in North Central Vietnam. Conference on Integrated Water Resource Management, Management Policy and Decision Making Supports. Jacques Cartier, Ho Chi Minh City, 27-28 November 2014 (accepted).

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Adaptive capacity to flood of communities in North Central Vietnam. Case studies in Yen Ho commune, Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province and Hung Nhan commune, Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province

Phuong-Thao Nguyen ⁽¹⁾, Thi-Ha-Thanh Nguyen ⁽²⁾, Quang-Huy Man ⁽²⁾

Keywords: Adaptive capacity, community-based adaptation, flood

Submitted to Southeast Asian Geography Association 2014 (SEAGA 2014) 

Abstract: North Central Vietnam is one of areas that worst affected by climate change induced water disasters like flood, drought and salinity. In which, flood is the most typical disaster and annually causes negative impacts to people. This paper focuses on investigating impacts of water disasters on and analyzing community – based adaptation of affected communities in Central provinces. In doing this, CVCA methodology (Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis) of CARE organization was employed in assessing adaptation strategies under perspective of community. Besides, we conducted a household survey to understand impacts of water disaster and adaptive capacity under perspective of household. Selection of Hung Nhan commune (in Nghe An province) and Yen Ho commune (in Ha Tinh province) separated by Lam River as study areas since they are typical locals affected by flood. Although two areas are affected by flood due to heavy rain, underlying cause of flood in each commune is different. While the former is outside the dyke and suffer flood due to Lam River, the latter is inside the dyke and endure inundation due to poor drainage. Hung Nhan is more physically vulnerable than Yen Ho due to its location (outside the dyke) and capitals of livelihood of people here are not good as that in Yen Ho. Not surprisingly, poverty in Hung Nhan still be in a high rate in comparison with Yen Ho. Through bottom-up approach, the paper also finds out its differences between adaptive capacity of communities and identifying the top priorities in each community that need to address to increase their adaptive capacity and suggestions to develop an appropriate adaptation strategy in these communities.

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Thorkil Casse, Anders Milhøj, Nguyen Phuong Thao: Vulnerability in central Vietnam: Does climate change matter for everybody? 

Key words: disasters and economic losses, adaptation strategies, climate change and other stress factors

Abstract: Based on data from a household survey done in three provinces in central Vietnam, we look at livelihood strategies due to water disasters. All households are affected by the water disasters in the short term, but only the poor household experience a long term negative effect. High impact from natural disasters is correlated with negative income changes over time. As the disaster relief offered by the authorities are marginal compared to economic losses, some households react by increasing off-farm incomes (including remittances from overseas migrated household members). We note that the poor households do not opt for switching to off-farm income strategies, maybe because of lack of skills. On average households in our survey are becoming richer over time, despite the impact of mostly flooding in the provinces. The article ends by looking at the vulnerability-resilience debate concluding that the poor households could enter a vulnerability loop, unless new strategies to cope with climate changes are suggested.