Cassava Farmers’ Perception on Climate Change: A Case Study in Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province

Nguyen Hai Nui 1 , Vu Thanh Bien 2 , Nguyen Duc Trung 3 , Trieu Hong Lua 2 , Nguyen Tuan Cuong 2 , Charles Spillane 4 , Galina Brychkova 4 , Peter McKeown 4 and Bui Le Vinh 2

1Faculty of Accounting and Business Management, Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), Hanoi 131000, Vietnam
2Faculty of Land Management, Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), Hanoi 131000, Vietnam
3Independent expert in climate change research, Vietnam
4Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
Received: Jun 11, 2020 /
Revised: Aug 26, 2021 /
Published: Mar 5, 2021

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Abstract

Situated in the Northern Mountain Region, one of the most climate-vulnerable regions of Vietnam, Yen Bai province is exposed to many climate risks. This study investigated how well Yen Bai farmers were aware of the impacts of the changing climate on production and their livelihoods and how they referred support programs from the central and local governments to make decisions on adaptation and resilience strategies. Data were collected through direct interviews of 488 cassava households in six communes of Van Yen district. Descriptive statistics, One-way ANOVA, and Chi-square test were used to statistically analyze the data. In addition, we employed the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to study the relationships of three identified independent variables: (i) understanding of support programs/policies; (ii) access to weather information; and (iii) experience of climate risks and impacts, and farmers’ perceptions of climate impacts. Results from the PLS-SEM model showed that farmers with higher positive scores in the three independent variables above had better perceptions of climate change and its possible impacts, from which better adaptation decisions and strategies could be derived. These research findings emphasized the need for improving the understanding of climate change that could impact farmers’ livelihoods, farmers’ access to accurate near-time and medium-term weather forecasts, and thoroughly using local knowledge on climate risks and effective native adaptation measures for better adaptation and mitigation strategies and actions in rural climate-vulnerable communities in Vietnam.

Keywords: Cassava farmers, climate change, farmers’ perceptions, climate impacts

Article Details

How to Cite
Nui, N., Bien, V., Trung, N., Lua, T., Cuong, N., Spillane, C., Brychkova, G., McKeown, P., & Vinh, B. (2021). Cassava Farmers’ Perception on Climate Change: A Case Study in Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 3(3), 700-711. https://doi.org/10.31817/vjas.2020.3.3.04

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