Overview 

Vietnam is one of the world’s top five most vulnerable countries to climate change. Our diverse topography leads to different impact patterns across the country, i.e. the north is subject to rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns, coastal areas in the center are increasingly exposed to typhoons and tropical storms, and the low-lying Mekong Delta region in the south is particularly at risk of freshwater shortage and saline intrusion. Extreme weather events have increased in both frequency and severity. In addition, economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization have substantially augmented greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pressures in Vietnam. Forecasting models indicate that total economic losses associated with climate change could reach 12–14.5% of GDP per year by 2050 (World Bank, 2022).

In Vietnam, women are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts due to gender differences in time use, mobility, access to productive resources, financial services, technology, and information, as well as discriminatory gender norms limiting women’s voice and decision-making. Rural and ethnic minority women face compounding vulnerabilities due to systemic marginalization and their dependence on fragile ecosystems for their livelihoods. The vulnerability of poor communities to climate change could result in up to one million more people living in extreme poverty by 2030 (World Bank, 2022).

CARE centers our climate justice work on strengthening the resilience of vulnerable and disaster-prone communities, especially women and girls. We enhance their adaptive capacity as well as address the root causes of vulnerability, such as unequal power relations and lack of decision-making. We place a strong focus on locally-led adaptation and inclusive governance of climate action by empowering vulnerable and disaster-prone communities to participate and advance their interests in decision-making processes and policy discussions.

In Vietnam, CARE has over 30 years of experience in climate resilience programming. Our team includes technical experts on climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, gender, and MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) with wide-ranging experience in community-based interventions, capacity building, network building, thought leadership, and policy advocacy.

Program priorities

Given the context, CARE must intensify efforts to address climate change in Vietnam. Aligning with its global strategy to enhance the capacities of the most vulnerable, CARE Vietnam has developed a strategy focused on locally-led adaptation. Four program priorities have been identified based on the current context and CARE’s experience, capacities, and partnerships in the country: