A Nuanced Analysis on Livelihood Resilience of Vietnamese Upland Households: An Intersectional Lens of Ethnicity and Gender

Abstract

“How to gauge the resilience of a household’s livelihood?” and “who is resilience for?”; as the world’s volatility increases, especially with unprecedented changes in climate, interest in these questions continues to rise. While many previous conventional attempts to measure resilience at the household level have largely employed the “objective” top-down framework relying mostly on a macro observed socioeconomic dataset, this present work seeks to estimate household resilience through an alternative bottom-up method, called the “subjective” resilience approach. With specific reference to the context of two ethnic Pa Cô and Tà Ôi minorities living in upland areas of Central Vietnam, this study aims to (1) measure household resilience to climate change by scoring five livelihood capitals, financial, human, social, physical, and natural, by applying the Household Livelihood Resilience (HLR) framework; and (2) provide an intersectional lens of ethnicity and gender in relation to the household’s livelihood resilience. To achieve these goals, in addition to two focus group discussions and eleven in-depth interviews, an empirical survey of 236 households was conducted between September to December 2021. Our findings indicated that there are differences in observed livelihood resilience among the ethnic minority groups and, within that, between gender (sex, status) factors. Ethnic women and poor households have a lower resilience than other groups in society due to their lower human capital and limited access to public and financial resources, which are to some degree linked to the difference in the gender division of labor and the cultural norms of patriarch traditions. This study highlights the importance of considering gender and poverty in resilience-building efforts and offers insights for future programs in multi-ethnic developing countries such as Vietnam.

Decoding the livelihood vulnerability of flood-prone communities in Vietnam: Implications for disaster risk reduction and sustainable rural development

“…showed that flood damage variables significantly impact rice households' vulnerability in Nghe An Province, Vietnam. Similarly, Phuong et al (2023) found that household vulnerability was positively correlated with extreme weather events and disaster damage. Hilemelekot et al (2021), in turn, claimed that Ethiopian farmers, who are frequently exposed to floods, are forced to implement a range of adaptation strategies.…”

“…In addition, flood knowledge and awareness, recommended by Phuong et al (2023), were added as subcomponents by comparing and Hahn et al (2009). Furthermore, knowledge and awareness of flood risks through participation in training or disaster preparedness drills have been found to enhance household adaptivity (Ha et al, 2022;Phuong et al, 2022;Vo et al, 2021), which in turn reduces vulnerability.…”

“…In addition to conducting livelihood vulnerability assessments, several recent studies (e.g., Sujakhu et al, 2019;Mogomotsi et al, 2021;Nguyen & Leisz, 2021;Phuong et al, 2023;and Zhang et al, 2019) have investigated the factors that contribute to household vulnerability. Livelihood vulnerability can be influenced by a range of endogenous and exogenous factors.…”

“…Several empirical studies have suggested that the profiles of household heads, such as gender, age, marital status, and educational qualification, are strongly related to household livelihood vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Many studies have confirmed that maleheaded household heads tend to adopt more adaptation strategies than their counterparts; therefore, they are more likely to adapt than are women (Getahun et al, 2021;Hilemelekot et al, 2021;Phuong Thi Tran et al, 2023;Vo et al, 2021). The age of the household head is closely linked to agricultural farming experience; therefore, there is a positive relationship with the adaptability of the household (Getahun et al, 2021;Mogomotsi et al, 2020).…”

Climate shocks and responses: Perspectives and experiences of ethnic minority farmers in rural mountainous regions of Central Vietnam

“…Central Vietnam is considered one of the most hazard-prone regions to climate variability, especially typhoons and floods due to its long coastline, hot and humid climate conditions, and geographical disadvantage [ 3 , 8 , 48 , 49 ]. In the study, the field surveys were specifically conducted in two mountain communes – Song Kon (SK), Dong Giang district; and Tra Doc (TD), Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam Province, Central Vietnam ( Fig.…”