Adaptive capacity to climate change: rice farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Climate change which is a global issue has affected various areas and sectors of the world economy. The Mekong Delta of Vietnam which is the major rice production of the country is considered one the most affected areas by the issues of climate change and sea-level rise. Thus, the rice farmers in this region have been experiencing different problems of irregular and severe weather events such as floods, drought and salinity intrusion. The issues have greatly affected the lives and livelihoods of farmers in the region. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the ability of rice farmer households in the most affected area to salinity intrusion – Kien Giang and Tra Vinh province to answer the central research question: to what extent do farmers in the Mekong Delta have the capacity to adapt successfully to climate change?

To answer the research question, the research employs different theories including legitimacy, isomorphism and adaptive capacity. In addition, the study proposes the framework for investigating adaptive capacity based on the one that is developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The key factors of the framework include the availability of economic resources, human resources, social capital, technology, infrastructure and government’s support. To get a rich picture of the farmers’ ability, the study applies a mixed-method research design including qualitative and quantitative research. The contributions of the study would enrich the existing theories of legitimacy and isomorphism in the investigation of adaptive capacity and climate change adaptation. The study also provides suggestions for both policymakers and practitioners for improving the effectiveness of climate-related policies and the adaptive capacity of farmers. In addition, suggestions on future research directions are made for enriching the knowledge and information on adaptive capacity and climate change adaptation in Vietnam.