Vulnerability assessment of households to flash floods and landslides in the poor upland regions of Vietnam

Increased frequency and intensity of flash floods and landslides in the Northern Mountainous Regions of Vietnam represent the most damaging hazards to the production activities and livelihoods of rural households, which are heavily reliant on agriculture. Assessing households’ vulnerability therefore becomes critical and urgent to help policy-makers in Vietnam in facilitating the implementation of adaptation strategies for households living in this area. Thus, this paper employed the Household Vulnerability Index method along with the qualitative data analysis to evaluate the vulnerability level of smallholder farmers under the effect of these hazards. Data was collected from 405 households in three communes of Yen Bai province, one of the poorest provinces in the Northern Mountainous Regions of Vietnam with a high proportion of ethnic minorities who have extremely low incomes and education levels. Food and fresh water quality and security are also relatively low in this region. The empirical results indicate that ethnicity, diversified sources of income, organizational membership, health insurance, food security, land tenure documentation, water resources, and locational dimensions are the key factors affecting the vulnerability of farmers under the impacts of flash floods and landslides. Results also suggest that the livelihoods of farmers in the Dai Son commune are the most vulnerable to these natural hazards identified by the Social Network, Socio-Demographic Profile, and Water component factors. We subsequently identify and prioritize measures to ensure sustainable livelihoods for local farmers through practices, such as improving people’s literacy, enhancing production systems, and strengthening natural resource management strategies. Keywords: Vulnerability, Flash Floods and Landslides, Household vulnerability index, Yen Bai province, North Mountain, Vietnam