Adaptation to Land Degradation in Southeast Vietnam

Anne Gobin, Le Thi Thu Hien, Le Trinh Hai, Pham Ha Linh, Nguyen Ngoc Thang and Pham Quang Vinh
Additional contact information
Anne Gobin: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Le Thi Thu Hien: Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Le Trinh Hai: Department of Environmental Impact Assessment, Vietnam Environment Administration, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Pham Ha Linh: Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Nguyen Ngoc Thang: Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Pham Quang Vinh: Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: A framework was developed to elucidate (1) the drivers of land degradation, (2) pressures, (3) local impacts and vulnerabilities and (4) adaptation strategies. The combination of participatory approaches, statistical data analysis, time series Landsat imagery and spatial data mining was tested in southeast Vietnam where the impacts of land degradation on the environment and economy are considerable. The major drivers of land degradation are climate, notably drought, and population density. The pressures include natural resource management and land use/cover change. A Landsat archive analysis showed an increase in agricultural land use from 31% to 50%, mostly at the expense of forests, from 1990 to 2019. Farmers adapted by investing in the irrigation of rice and dragon fruit, and by selecting their rainfed crops in line with the changing environment. The most vulnerable were the rural poor and farmers without access to land and water resources. The best protection against land degradation was prosperity, which is enhanced by the region’s location along Vietnam’s major national route, connecting major cities along a north–south axis. Our analysis shows that southeast Vietnam emerged as a region with an important human ecological resilience strengthened by increased prosperity. The current adaptation options and limitations warrant further research.

Keywords: southeast Vietnam; land degradation; drought; land use/cover; natural resource management; adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:9:p:302-:d:405307

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