Understanding Upland Households’ Climate Adaptation Decision-making in Southeast Asia

Challenge

Upland households in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam face climate shocks and food insecurity, with limited evidence on what drives adaptation choices.

Solution

Research and document household decisions, survey farmers, and share evidence on adaptation strategies to improve food security.

Overview

Upland regions in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are exposed to climate variability that undermines crops, income, and household well-being. To inform practical strategies, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research supported a comparative study led by Mai Thi Thanh Ha (Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam). The project team analyzed factors influencing households’ adoption of climate adaptation practices and assessed household food security.

The project used a multi-country household survey and focus group discussions to build a comparable evidence base across Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Through the survey and discussions, the researchers collected information used in the analysis, including age, education, household size, livelihood diversification, perceptions, which practices households adopted, and food security measured using the FAO Food Insecurity Experience Scale, a standardized measure of experiential food access at the household level.

Household decision factors

Adoption of climate adaptation practices aligned most closely with social support, knowledge of adaptation options, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of adopting a practice. Perception of climate change itself did not predict adoption. In Vietnam, households were more likely to adopt adaptation practices such as intercropping or growing climate-tolerant crops, and similar approaches were reported in Laos and Cambodia. These findings indicate that social support, practical knowledge, and perceived usefulness and ease of use drive adoption, while awareness alone did not.

Food security insights

Food security conditions varied by context. In the Vietnam sample, most surveyed farmers experienced food insecurity at varying levels during the study period. Determinants of food security included age, education, household size, and livelihood diversification, which were associated with better outcomes. Crop diversification showed a negative association with food security in this dataset. The planned analysis directly linking adaptation choices and food security was only partly completed during the project period because of time constraints.

Policy relevance and capacity building

The project recommended expanding knowledge of climate change adaptation practices to increase adoption. It also recommended public investment in education and rural development policies that create off-farm jobs in mountainous areas to improve food security. The project team strengthened internal capacity through training in the KoBo Toolbox data platform and data management, and generated a cross-country dataset for future analyses and publications.

Findings and key figures

• Adoption of adaptation practices was positively associated with social support, knowledge of adaptation options, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease, while perception of climate change was not associated with adoption.
• In Vietnam, households were more likely to adopt practices such as intercropping and climate‑tolerant crops, compared with households in Laos and Cambodia.
• Most surveyed farmers in Vietnam experienced food insecurity at varying levels during the study period, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale.
• Determinants of food security included age, education, household size, and livelihood diversification as positive factors, while crop diversification showed a negative association.
• The project surveyed 1,017 upland household representatives across Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, exceeding the planned sample of 750.
• 12 focus group discussions engaged 90 farmers.

Project details

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) under its Collaborative Regional Research Programme (CRRP). Acknowledgements also go to partner institutions in Cambodia and Laos.

Related information

• Project Permalink
• Project Final Report
• Ha, T.M., Boulom, S., Yang, F., Voe, P., Dao, C.D., Dang, X.P., … Ha, D.A. (2023). Factors influencing farmers’ climate change adaptation in Southeast Asia: A comparative study from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. APN Science Bulletin, 13(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2023.2101/
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