Climate change awareness, coping mechanisms and adaptation in poor rural coastal communities, Ben Tre Province, Vietnam

Abstract

Ben Tre Province in Vietnam is ranked among the most vulnerable places in Asia to climate change events. We conducted a study to evaluate community knowledge, awareness, perception severity, coping mechanism and adaptation to climate change in Ben Tre Province. Community members were aware of changing climatic conditions. About 90% of respondents suffered losses from salt water intrusion. Households adopted coping mechanisms to deal with these changes. Age, education and previous affliction with climate change events influence knowledge, awareness, perception of severity and preparedness to manage climate change events. Local governments proposed adaptation strategies such as building of dikes to prevent salt water intrusion and developing of irrigation systems. Of the two adaptation strategies evaluated to losses from climate change, the sea dike system protected more land but the irrigating system was more cost effective in mitigating losses from climate change.