Assessing the vulnerability to drought of the farm households in Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam

Abstract

Drought is the cause of severe water shortages and losses to the livelihood of farmers in the central provinces of Vietnam. This study aims to assess the drought vulnerability of farm households in Ninh Thuan province using two vulnerability assessment indices, the livelihood vulnerability index, and the IPCC vulnerability index. Data for the analysis were gathered from a survey of 231 randomly selected households across three drought-prone regions of the province. The data collected included information on the household’s sociodemographic profile, livelihood strategies, social networks, financial capital, water security, health status, and drought conditions. The research reveals that the poor farmers from ethnic minority groups with limited access to water sources, financial capital, and social networks are the most vulnerable farm households, requiring more support from the local community, and government to adopt an integrated drought risk management approach.