ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY TO AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN CAN GIO DISTRICT

Abstract

Can Gio is a low coastal suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City with agriculture as the main economic sector. Agriculture is heavily dependent on climate change. Vurnerability assessment is a tool to indentify impact level of climate change on agriculture. Quantitative assessment of vulneralbility is usually done by constructing a “vulnerability index”. This index is based on several set of indicators that result in agricuteral vulnerability of each commune/town in Can Gio District. The indicators will be in different units and scales. The methodology used in UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) (UNDP, 2006) is followed to normalize them between 0 and 1 and method with unequal weights (Iyengar & Sudarshan (1982)’s method). As a result, Ly Nhon and Tam Thon Hiep commune is vulnerable at the high level in climated change condition. Long Hoa, Binh Khanh, An Thoi Đong, Thanh An Commune are vulnerable at the medium level. Can Thanh town is vulnerable at the low level. The study also proposes some adaptation solutions for areas affected by climate change.