Social capital, livelihood diversification and household resilience to annual flood events in the Vietnamese Mekong river delta
Date
2011
Authors
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Publisher
EEPSEA, IDRC Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, Singapore, SG
Abstract
This study looks at how floods in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) affect different social groups. Surprisingly, the livelihood diversity index has no effect on household resilience to floods in this context. The study demonstrates how informal social capital (neighbourhood attachment, social supportive networks, participation in groups and organizations) plays an important part in enhancing household resilience to floods. The paper recommends that both the Vietnamese government and local community groups should encourage collective activities to boost resilience. The findings provide insights into developing adaptive non-structural measures for coping with future flood events in the MRD.
Description
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IDRC-Related Report
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Keywords
FLOODS, MEKONG RIVER DELTA, VIET NAM, CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION, SOCIAL CAPITAL, NATURAL DISASTERS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING, LIVELIHOOD SECURITY, COMMUNITY POWER, FAR EAST ASIA