The livelihood adaptability of households under the impact of climate change in the Mekong Delta

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Thanh Le ◽  
Chi Dao Vo

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a deep understanding of rural household livelihoods in the Mekong Delta and to explore how they can cope with climate stressors at the ground level.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs the sustainable livelihood framework at a household and also an individual scale. The general data obtained from a survey of 2,100 households provide an overview of their livelihoods. Qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted, as case studies, to comprehensively assess 100 households in one commune affected by annual floods and an additional 100 households in another commune affected by sea level rises. Livelihood profile analysis is beneficial to identify specific livelihood change patterns that have taken place in these specific cases.FindingsThere are four types of livelihood adaptation to climate stressors: (1) change of structure of agricultural systems, (2) change of employment locations, (3) resettlement with strong impact on livelihoods and (4) out-migration. The household livelihood resources and the local economic structures have significant roles in driving adaptive solutions.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides detailed profiles of the livelihood change considered as passive adaptation of smallholders in the Mekong Delta.Originality/valueIt contributes to the knowledge of rural households in multiple aspects with regard to how they cope with climate change via reflection on their livelihoods.

Author(s):  
Ashok K. Mishra ◽  
Valerian O. Pede

Purpose The purpose of this study is to first examine the factors affecting the intra-household perception of climate change. Second, the study investigates the impact of the perception of climatic stress on the operators’ and spouses’ intra-household adaptation strategies (farm and household financial strategies). Design/methodology/approach The study uses household survey data from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The study uses probit and negative binomial count data approaches to evaluate the empirical model. Findings Results confirm the existence of intra-household gender differences in the adaptation strategies. The authors found that although spouses perceive climatic stress, they are less likely to adapt to such stresses when it comes farming enterprise, but more likely to adapt to household financial strategies. In contrast, farm operators, in the presence of climatic stresses, undertake both farm and household finance adaptation strategies. Practical implications Investment in climate smart agriculture can help households in managing climatic stresses. Originality/value A farmer in Asia, and Vietnam in particular, faces significant risks from climatic changes. In Vietnam, agriculture is easily affected by natural disasters and climatic changes. This study provides insights into the perception of climatic changes by operators and spouses in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Perceived changes in the climate have a greater impact on women because they typically lack the necessary tools to adapt to climate change. The current findings could be useful in managing climatic risk in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and be helpful to policymakers in designing risk management strategies in response to climatic changes.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
Xuan Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Hoang Viet Le

Municipal solid waste (MSW) in Vietnam has been increasing quickly and became one of the most considered environmental problems in Mekong Delta (MD) region covering 13 provinces and municipalities in the south of Vietnam. With a considerably large amount of MSW, the region produces about 5% of the total amount of MSW of the country. The collection rate of solid waste is about quite high (65 - 72%) in the cities and rather low (about 40 - 55%) in the rural areas, with a high content in organic matter (about 60 - 85%). The climate of MD can be characterized as tropical and monsoonal with a high rate of humidity and a strong impact of flooding. Like other regions too, the MSW collection and treatment system is still underdeveloped and rudimentary, with disposal sites being the sole dumping method of the unsorted MSW remaining untreated by any mechanical and biological pre-treatment steps. Within this paper, the current treatment, management and operation of MSW systems are introduced, as well as the identification of advantages and dis-advantages, environmental impacts, potential risks of the MSW system within the impact of global climate change. The situation of MSW treatment and management is correlated with the climate change impact and the integrated solid waste management is introduced as a new approach for adapting the environmental protection awareness by considering the climate change for the long-term sustainable development orientation. Sự gia tăng chất thải rắn ở các đô thị Việt Nam ngày càng nhanh và chất thải rắn đang là một trong những vấn đề môi trường được quan tâm hàng đầu. Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long (ĐBSCL) nơi có đến 13 tỉnh và thành phố nằm ở phía Nam Việt Nam. Với lượng chất thải không nhỏ, chiếm khoảng 5 % tổng lượng chất thải rắn sinh hoạt của quốc gia. Tỷ lệ thu gom chất thải rắn thấp, chiếm khoảng 65 - 72 % ở thành thị, tỷ lệ này ở nông thôn thấp 40 - 55%, chất thải có hàm lượng hữu cơ cao chiếm khoảng 60 - 85%. Khí hậu nhiệt đới gió mùa với độ ẩm không khí cao và chịu ảnh hưởng lớn của lũ lụt hàng năm. Cũng như các khu vực khác, hệ thống thu gom và xử lý rác thải ở khu vực ĐBSCL còn rất thô sơ và lạc hậu, bãi rác là nơi duy nhất tiếp nhận trực tiếp hổn hợp rác thải không phân loại và qua bất kỳ công đoạn tiền xử lý nào. Trong phạm vi bài viết này, chúng tôi giới thiệu hoạt động vận hành hệ thống quản lý và xử lý rác đô thị trong khu vực đồng thời phân tích các thuận lợi và bất lợi, cũng như các tác động môi trường, những rủi ro tiềm ẩn trong điều kiện ảnh hưởng của biến đổi khí hậu toàn cầu - khu vực ĐBSCL là nơi chịu ảnh hưởng nặng nề nhất. Tình hình quản lý và xử lý rác được cân nhắc trong điều kiện tác động của biến đổi khí hậu, đồng thời quản lý tổng hợp rác thải cũng được đềxuất như một các tiếp cận mới nhằm đáp ứng nhiệm vụ bảo vệ môi trường trong điều kiện biến đổi khí hậu theo định hướng phát triển bền vững lâu dài.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thu Trang Thi Ngo ◽  
Hong Quan Nguyen ◽  
Timothy Gorman ◽  
Quang Ngo Xuan ◽  
Phuong Lan Thi Ngo ◽  
...  

PurposeDrought and salinity intrusion aggravated by climate change threaten agricultural livelihoods in Viet Nan's Mekong Delta. In response, authorities have built water management infrastructure for irrigation and salinity protection. This study assessed the impact of one such project, the Ba Lai dam in Ben Tre province, on the livelihoods of aquaculture farmers.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to assess the impact of the Ba Lai dam on the livelihood capitals of 18 farming households in four communes, located both upstream and downstream of the dam.FindingsThe authors find that, apart from some positive effects, the dam has also brought negative environmental consequences, such as increased water pollution. The authors also find that farmers have responded to the changes by adapting their livelihood practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe samples were relatively small, encompassing four communes in Ben Tre province. On the other hand, this case study is instructive to the many ongoing infrastructure projects in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.Social implicationsThe project have caused an increase in water-related social conflict.Originality/valueThe case of the Ba Lai dam provides a cautionary example for infrastructure-based water management plans, both in Viet Nam and more broadly. The study suggests the need to strengthen community participation and prioritize impacts of farmers' capital assets when constructing water management infrastructure for climate change adaptation.


Significance The extreme cold comes as the province is still dealing with the damage caused by unprecedented levels of heat and wildfires last summer and then record levels of rainfall and flooding in November. Its experience has focused attention on Canada’s wider vulnerability to the impact of shifting weather patterns and climate change. Impacts The natural resource sectors that are vital to Canada’s economy face an increasingly difficult environment for extraction. Indigenous peoples across the country will see their traditional ways of life further disrupted by climate change. The increasingly evident impacts of climate change on day-to-day life will see voters demand greater action from government. Significant investment in green initiatives, clean energy and climate resiliency initiatives will boost green industries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Candauda Arachchige Saliya ◽  
Suesh Kumar Pandey

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how and to what extent the Fijian sustainable banking regulations or guidelines are designed, communicated, implemented and monitored within the financial system in Fiji. A scorecard is introduced for this purpose to assess the effectiveness of Fiji’s financial battle against climate change (FBACC). Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed-method methodology. Data were collected mainly from a survey and supplemented by interviews, observations and documents. The scorecard was developed by building on existing two theoretical frameworks, namely, the Sustainable Banking Assessment and Climate Change Governance Index, to make them more appropriate and practically applicable to less developed financial systems in emerging economies such as Fiji. This FBACC scorecard consists of four perspectives, eight critical factors and 24 criteria. Findings The results show that the overall FBACC score averages 40.75%, and all the perspectives scored below 50%, the benchmark. Only the CF “policy” scored 54.25% because of a high positive response of 82.3% for the “political leadership” criterion. The relative contributions of each perspective in constructing the overall score are distributed as 28%, 25%, 24% and 23% among planning, action, accountability and control, respectively. Research limitations/implications These results were complemented by the information shared during the interviews and confirmed that the existing political initiatives need to be effectively communicated and/or implemented in the financial system by the regulatory agencies. Practical implications This FBACC scorecard can be applied to other underdeveloped systems in emerging countries to assess the effectiveness of the sustainable banking regulations and/or guidelines in those countries in relation to the FBACC. It can also be applied to individual firms to assess their contribution to the FBACC. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, this might be the first study in Fiji that considers the impact of climate-related financial risk on the Fijian financial system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 892-906
Author(s):  
David A. Gilliam ◽  
Teresa Preston ◽  
John R. Hall

Purpose Narratives are central to consumers’ understanding of brands especially during change. The financial crisis that began in 2008 offered a changing marketplace from which to develop two managerially useful frameworks of consumer narratives. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Consumer focus groups, interviews with bankers and qualitative consumer surveys were used to gather consumers’ narratives about retail banking. The narratives were examined through frameworks from both the humanities and psychology (narrative identity). Findings The individual consumer narratives were used to create first a possible cultural narrative or bird’s eye view and later archetypal narratives of groups of consumers for a ground-level view of the changing marketplace. Research limitations/implications Like all early research, the findings must be examined in other contexts to improve generalizability. Practical implications The narrative results revealed the impact of change on consumers’ identities, views of other entities and retail banking activity to yield managerially actionable information for segmentation, target marketing, branding and communication. Originality/value Frameworks are developed for consumer narratives which are shown to be useful tools in examining consumers’ reactions to changing markets and in formulating marketing responses.


Significance The rail industry is also stressing its green credentials as it seeks approval for a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern that would create the first company with a pan-North American freight line. Impacts The impact of COVID-19 on demand for long-range travel, especially business travel, remains uncertain. Much of Amtrak's rolling stock is at or near the end of its useful service life, pushing up operating costs. Rail and urban transit modernisation would support Biden's aim of creating more jobs in US manufacturing and infrastructure. Replacing highway-funding petrol taxes with vehicle usage fees would encourage freight to move from road to rail.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pınar Başgöze ◽  
Yaprak Atay ◽  
Selin Metin Camgöz ◽  
Lydia Hanks

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of reward structure on the customer's value perception of the program, loyalty to the program and loyalty to the firm.Design/methodology/approachA 2 (type of reward) x 2 (timing of redemption) between subjects experimental design was conducted. In addition, the indirect effect of the customer's value perception of the program on loyalty to the firm via loyalty to the program is tested with Hayes and Preacher's mediation procedure.FindingsStudy results indicated that type of reward has a positive impact on the perceived value of a loyalty program. Program loyalty mediates the relationship between the perceived value of the loyalty program and customer loyalty, as well as the relationship between type of reward and customer loyalty.Originality/valueThe findings of this study demonstrate the importance of the type and timing of loyalty program rewards on customer perceptions of the value of the loyalty program. In addition, this study is a step forward in providing a deep understanding of the impact of such perceptions on loyalty. These findings fill a number of research gaps and provide tangible guidance for practitioners.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 819-832
Author(s):  
Sirajo Yakubu ◽  
Mohammed Kyari Dikwa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is a holistic assessment of the impact of whistleblowing policy adopted by the Nigerian Government in fighting corruption and an evaluation of the whistleblowing and witness protection bill. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a critical analysis of the whistleblowing policy and the draft whistleblowing and witness protection bill. The paper combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. It is conducted through the study of the policy and the draft bill and the critical examination of the data released by the federal Ministry of Finance. Moreover, the personal experience of the authors in the civil service and in formulating and implementing the whistleblower policy account significantly. Findings The whistleblowing policy adopted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria is promising in controlling corruption and other economically motivated crimes. However, while efforts to give whistleblowing a legal backing will strengthen the fight against corruption in Nigeria, the National Assembly must subject the bill to rigorous debate to avoid having many lacunas in would be act. Research limitations/implications The use of whistleblowing in combatting corruption in Nigeria is still at its infancy. A policy document backs implementation of the policy – there is no legislation or case law to consider. Thus, analysis is based on the policy document, the bill, statistics from the FMF and personal experience of the authors. Originality/value There is no comprehensive study on the adoption of and efforts to give legal backing to, the whistleblowing policy adopted in Nigeria. This paper is of value to the Nigerian Government and the National Assembly considering the latest efforts to institutionalise whistleblowing in Nigeria.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-570
Author(s):  
Ike Hlongwane

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of recognition of prior learning (RPL) as an alternative tool for access into learning programmes in South African Library and Information Science (LIS) schools. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted quantitative methods, and utilised questionnaires and document analysis to collect data. Findings The study found that despite an institutional “will” among the LIS schools to open up access to learners who come from diverse backgrounds; there are still aspects that inhibit the use of RPL as an alternative route of access into higher education and training. Research limitations/implications In-depth interviews were not conducted to ascertain the veracity of the findings. Practical implications This study was valuable for institutions, policy makers, government and other stakeholders to assess the impact of RPL implementation in higher education and training. Originality/value Despite there been very little published concerning RPL implementation in higher education and training, use of RPL, as an alternative route to access into higher education and training is generally low. The paper seeks to highlight and promote RPL as an alternative route of access into higher education and training especially for non-matriculants from diverse backgrounds.


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