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The vulnerability of shrimp farming income to climate change events: A case study in Ca Mau, Vietnam

An Van Quach (Ca Mau DOST, Ca Mau City, Vietnam)
Frank Murray (School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia)
Angus Morrison-Saunders (Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia)

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

ISSN: 1756-8692

Article publication date: 20 March 2017

384

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate shrimp income losses of farmers in the four farming systems in the research areas of Ca Mau, Vietnam, and determine the vulnerability of shrimp farming income to climate change events.

Design/methodology/approach

Field research interviews were conducted with 100 randomly selected households across the four farming systems to access shrimp income status and vulnerability levels to climate change events. Four focus groups, each aligned to a particular farming system, were surveyed to categorise likelihood and consequences of climate change effects based on a risk matrix worksheet to derive levels of risk, adaptive capacity and vulnerability levels.

Findings

Shrimp farmers in the study areas have been facing shrimp income reduction recently and shrimp farming income is vulnerable to climate change events. There are some differences between farmers’ perspectives on vulnerability levels, but some linkages are evident among shrimp farmer characteristics, ramifications for each farming system, shrimp income losses and shrimp farmers’ perspectives on vulnerability levels of shrimp incomes. From an income perspective, farmers operating in intensive shrimp farming systems appear to be less vulnerable to existing and expected climate change effects relative to those in mixed production or lower density systems.

Originality/value

Having identified the vulnerability level of shrimp farming income to climate change events in different farming systems based on shrimp farmers’ perspectives, the paper adds new knowledge to existing research on vulnerability of the aquaculture sector to climate change. The research findings have implications for policymakers who may choose to encourage intensive shrimp farming to enhance shrimp farmer resilience to the effects of climate change as well as improving cultivation techniques for shrimp farmers. The findings could thus guide local government decision-making on climate change responses and residents of Ca Mau as well as within the wider Mekong Delta in developing suitable practical adaption measures.

Keywords

Citation

Quach, A.V., Murray, F. and Morrison-Saunders, A. (2017), "The vulnerability of shrimp farming income to climate change events: A case study in Ca Mau, Vietnam", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 261-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-05-2015-0062

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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