Assessment of livelihood vulnerability to climate change in Phu Hoa district, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam

Abstract

This study aims to assess the livelihood vulnerability in Phu Hoa district, Phu Yen Province, which is located in Vietnam's southern middle coastal areas. Climate change has strongly impacted coastal areas and threatened the living conditions there. Using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), 200 local households were surveyed to determine the level of livelihood vulnerability in Phu Hoa district. In the results, LVI increased from 0 to 0.4. The values indicated that household characteristics are the least vulnerable of the choosing factors (0.114), followed in ascending order by water source (0.230), food (0.237), social network (0.238), health (0.271), livelihood strategies (0.370), natural disasters and climate change (0.399). The overall LVI in Phu Hoa district reached a moderate level of 0.270. It is expected that the study will serve as a reference document that provides administrators and the community with information to proactively adapt and develop policies and strategies to support and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.