Vietnam has both a tropical climate zone and a temperate climate zone, with all of the country experiencing the effects of the annual monsoon (Climate Risk Country Profile). In the country, climate impacts such as rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns that affect agricultural activity, and intensified extreme weather events, pose significant challenges to Vietnam’s economic and social development, particularly for vulnerable populations in coastal and rural areas. In recent years, water flows of main river basins have been lower than the average for many years. Prolonged heat and droughts increase the risk of arid soil, reducing soil quality, not to mention increased heat also increases the risk of forest fires. Historical loss and damage: Between 2011 and 2020, extreme climate events have caused severe economic damage, with total losses estimated at VND 229,958 billion (an equivalent of USD 10 billion at 2022 exchange rates). On average, Viet Nam suffers about USD 2.4 billion worth of direct damage in public and private property (equivalent to 0.8% of GDP) due to extreme weather events. (Climate Change Knowledge Portal) 

With these conditions, Vietnam faces potentially significant social and economic impacts across multiple regions and sectors. Without effective adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts multidimensional poverty and inequality are likely to increase. (Climate Risk Country Profile) 

CARE in Vietnam has a long record of accomplishments that focus on social protection, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. In recent years, CARE has applied a gender responsive approach in these three disciplines. The common goal of these three disciplines is to support resilience against shocks and stresses amongst vulnerable women and men with a focus on resilient livelihoods, agro-climate information services and actionable advisories, and climate smart and gender responsive value chains. Integrating social protection, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in policy, planning and programing presents huge opportunities for multiplying resilience, and CARE has been in the forefront among development practitioners to conceptually link these approaches.

Various projects at CARE Vietnam, supported by other development partners, are already using an integrated approach to support resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks, and show potential for replication and expansion.