Overview
This report, a joint initiative by CARE International in Vietnam and its partners, draws on a series of assessments and analyses. It is based on a study conducted as part of CARE Vietnam’s Civil Action for Socio-economic Inclusion in Sustainable Development (CASI III) Project. The publication is funded by DANIDA through CARE Denmark, with additional support from CARE Australia. The report explores the vulnerability to climate change of ethnic minority groups in the northern region of Vietnam and their capacity to adapt. It highlights that these groups are significantly poorer than the ethnic majority Kinh, and while national poverty rates have decreased, the gap between them has increased. The analysis for this report draws on a holistic approach, recognizing that socio-economic factors are critical in shaping people’s vulnerability and capacity to adapt, in addition to exposure to climate hazards. The study also notes that there has been little attention on the specific challenges faced by ethnic minorities in the northern mountainous areas of the country.
Key Findings
- Ethnic minorities are more likely to be poor, and the poverty gap between them and the ethnic majority has widened.
- The burdens of poverty tend to fall more heavily on women within ethnic minority groups.
- Livelihoods of ethnic minorities are heavily reliant on natural resources and are particularly susceptible to changes in weather and climate conditions.
- Key climate impacts reported in the northern mountains include more frequent temperature extremes, less rainfall during the dry season, and an increase in flooding.
- National analyses often fail to fully consider the sensitivity of different people and groups to climate and weather, including gender dimensions, relative wealth, and the role of social exclusion in vulnerability
- All information provided by extension services is in Vietnamese, which is often not spoken or read by many ethnic minorities, particularly women.
- Remoteness contributes to a lack of access to markets and limited delivery of government services.
Recommendations
The report includes recommendations for the CASI III project and other organizations working with ethnic minorities. These include:
- Ensuring gender is fully and effectively integrated across project components.
- Advocating to relevant agencies on key infrastructure needs.
- Facilitating the voice of ethnic minority groups in planning and policy-making at all levels.
- Strengthening existing livelihood strategies and ensuring their climate resilience.
- Investing in Community Based Disaster Risk Management at the local level.
- Improving service provision to ethnic minority communities.
The research in Thanh Hoa and Bac Kan analyses the specific interventions on disaster risk reduction/climate change to understand if selected projects have addressed women’s vulnerability to climate change.
Language: English