Gender-differentiated impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies: The case of Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Climate change is showing increasing impacts on people’s lives and livelihoods around the world. The impacts have been observed to be more severe for the rural poor and women. In the Mekong Delta, major agricultural region of Vietnam and one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change in Southeast Asia, women have been significantly involved in agrarian activities. They are often poor, vulnerable and have limited access to a variety of resources. Research has revealed several areas in which women and men are affected differently from climatic stressors interacting with, inter alia, food and water security, access to resources, health and welfare issues, climate-induced migration, education and training, socio-cultural context.

This project aims to identify gender-differentiated impacts of climate change and determinants of farmers’ choices of adaptation strategies in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Particularly, we will (1) measure the gender-differentiated impacts of salinity intrusion on agricultural production, food security, and climate-induced migration; (2) explore adaptation strategies used by male and female farmers representing different age, education level, class, ethnic groups and other demographic factors; (3) identify the determinants of male and female farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies to salinity intrusion.

Both qualitative and quantitative approaches will be employed. In-depth interviews and content analysis will be used to explore adaptation strategies used by male and female farmers representing different age, education level, class, ethnic groups and other demographic factors. We use multiple regression models to measure the gender-differentiated impacts of salinity intrusion. Multinomial logit model will be used to identify the determinants of male and female farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies.

This study aims to shed light on the under-researched intersectionality angles of gender- differentiated climate change impacts and adaptation strategies of rural households and propose policy implications for poverty alleviation.

Project status
Active
Country
Sustainable Development Goals
Project | 1 November 2021