Impacts of climate change on the living conditions of ethnic minority and mountainous communities in Nghe An province

Abstract

This study analyzes the impacts of climate change on the living conditions of ethnic minority and mountainous communities in Nghe An province, while examining the relationship between climate-related impacts and local population planning and settlement stabilization practices. The research employed secondary data collection and synthesis, along with sociological surveys conducted with 200 households and 90 local officials in 2024, combined with descriptive statistical and comparative analysis methods. The results indicate that household livelihoods remain unstable (mean score = 2.32), while natural disasters have caused very high levels of damage to living conditions and production activities (mean score = 4.11). Community adaptive capacity is assessed at a moderate level (3.27), and public participation in population arrangement and settlement stabilization processes remains limited (2.41). Differences between community perceptions and managerial assessments also reveal gaps in integrating climate change considerations into settlement planning practices. Based on these findings, the study proposes strengthening the integration of climate change factors into residential spatial planning, promoting climate-resilient livelihoods, and enhancing meaningful community participation to improve the sustainability of livelihood stabilization in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.