According to Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index, Vietnam is in the top ten countries most affected by climate change. In 2017 they were ranked 6th in the world. This ranking is based on combined socio-economic and extreme weather event data spanning over a 20-year period.
A combination of geographic and social factors makes Vietnam especially vulnerable to climate change. Vietnam has a vast coastline which exposes it to typhoons and flooding. Additionally, 20% of Vietnam’s total area falls within a low elevation coastal zone and more than half the country’s population live within these areas.

Farmers are at the frontlines of experiencing climate change as their livelihoods are intrinsically linked with the natural environment. Our study collected local knowledge of aquaculture farmers living in South Central Vietnam. We visited sea cage, hatchery, and shrimp farms throughout Khanh Hoa and surrounding provinces to interview farmers and aquaculture experts. We also had the opportunity to meet with several shrimp farmers from the Mekong delta.

The purpose of the interviews was to gather firsthand knowledge on current climate change impacts experienced by farmers, as well as which climate change threats they are most concerned about, and how they are adapting to these threats. We hope that the experiences and knowledge of aquaculture farmers presented in this paper can be used by other farmers who are seeking strategies to similar climate impacts, and for aquaculture researchers to better understand the current threats facing farmers.