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Climate risks and adaptation strategies in the Lower Mekong River basin

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Abstract

This paper examines perceived climate risks, their impacts, and existing adaptation practices at the local level, including the role of local institutions. The analysis focuses on two selected areas in Vietnam and Thailand. The paper is based on the information collected through key informant interviews at provincial and district level, focus group discussions at village level, and household survey. Several adaptation practices exist at local level to deal with the perceived risks of drought, floods, and salinity intrusion. Most of the adaptation practices were autonomous focusing on coping with short-term risks rather than structural long-term climate risks. Some adaptation practices, such as crop insurance and regulatory measures included in the literature and practiced in other places, did not exist at local level in the case study countries, but some local practices such as farmers’ annual fair could be an important addition to the inventory of potential adaptation measures. Local institutions have facilitated adaptation in different ways. They (1) lead and support unique adaptation practices suitable to the local context; (2) act as a catalyst to help people to adapt some practices by providing technical and material support; and (3) act as the bridge between local people and the governmental and non-governmental agencies. But several factors constrain the effectiveness of locally practiced adaptation measures. Thus, to enhance the adaptive capacity of households and the local community, it is necessary to: (1) improve the technical capacity of farmers; (2) create effective mechanisms for strengthening, promoting, and disseminating locally initiated efforts; (3) subsidize and improve access to credit services; (4) improve links between production and markets; and (5) establish effective mechanisms for coordination.

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Acknowledgments

The research described here is part of the PRoACC (Post-doctoral Programme on Climate Change Adaptation in the Mekong River Basin) programme. The programme is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation (DGIS) through the UNESCO-IHE Partnership Research Fund. It was carried out jointly with UNESCO-IHE and Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. It has not been subjected to peer and/or policy review by DGIS or UNESCO-IHE and, therefore, does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, 12120, Pathumthani, Thailand

    Ram C. Bastakoti & Mukand S. Babel

  2. International Water Management Institute, Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, Nepal

    Ram C. Bastakoti

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Joyeeta Gupta & Meine P. van Dijk

  4. Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Joyeeta Gupta

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  1. Ram C. Bastakoti
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  2. Joyeeta Gupta
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  4. Meine P. van Dijk
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Correspondence to Ram C. Bastakoti.

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Bastakoti, R.C., Gupta, J., Babel, M.S. et al. Climate risks and adaptation strategies in the Lower Mekong River basin. Reg Environ Change 14, 207–219 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0485-8

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