Livelihood Strategies Under the Constraints of Climate Change Vulnerability in Quang Nam

Abstract

This chapter examines how vulnerability can be measured in quantitative terms. By using the Ketsana typhoon’s devastating effects on livelihoods as an example, the chapter shows that households whose livelihoods are based on economic activities like acacia production and shrimp farming suffered the most. A survey of 166 households showed that 88 % had experienced substantial losses. In this case study, the degree of severity of the losses is not an useful indicator of vulnerability in Quang Nam. The people who were most aware about climate changes were also the ones most satisfied with their district’s disaster plans, and these were better covered by disaster relief schemes. At the other end of the scale, we found a district where only half of the households were satisfied with their district’s disaster plans, and half of the total claimed they did not know anything and had not received any disaster relief. In our study area, knowledge of climate change, satisfaction with local disaster planning and receipt of disaster relief seem to go hand in hand.