Farmer behaviour in response to socio-economic and biophysical changes in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta is reputed to be the principal agro-producing region of Vietnam. The vast development of rice and recently aquaculture contributes significantly to the national gross products and income. Although the economic growth is considerable, the region is threatened by environmental risks that challenge the rural livelihood. Flood, drought and saline intrusion are severely deteriorated by sea level rise, albeit the local people have historically experienced. Adapting to the situation, the state government has enacted several policies on climate change adaptation in accordance with regional socio-economic development. However, there occurs a gap between the governmental strategies and the needs of local community in which water-related issues are highlighted. Since the farming conditions differ for agriculture and aquaculture, the planning process is more complex regarding land and water allocation. Getting to know farmer activities potentially illuminates the complexity of such socioecological systems. This study was aimed to understand farmer behaviour in response to the changes in socio-economic and biophysical conditions. Tra Cu district located in the coastal region of Mekong Delta was the case study where two questionnaires were conducted to investigate the farmers at household level. The idea was to ask about the past and present farming practices in association with the future intention. The main findings show that in general, farmers primarily adapt to the biophysical conditions by changing farming practices or crop pattern. Nevertheless the market factor is more influential on farmer decision-making that drives the changing process toward profitable crops. Likewise, farmers do learn from each other about farming practices which greatly affect their decision-making. The lessons learnt, i.e. crop yield or crop price, are either tailored by socio-economic or natural events of which, if considering a specific time-scale, the degree of impact might share evenly. Farmers practicing multi-crops typically have more land and earn more money; thereby the behaviour in farming activities would be proactive and less dependent on rural community