Factors influencing farming households’ climate change adaptation strategies in Central Vietnam

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328058 July 10, 2025 1 / 22 OPEN ACCESS Citation: Nhuong BH, Truong DD, Huan LH, Lan BTH, Hang ND, Tam DD (2025) Factors influencing farming households' climate change adaptation strategies in Central Vietnam. PLoS One 20(7): e0328058. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328058 Editor: Sandra Ricart, Politecnico de Milano, SPAIN Received: June 21, 2024 Accepted: June 25, 2025 Published: July 10, 2025 Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0328058 Copyright: © 2025 Nhuong et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, RESEARCH ARTICLE Factors influencing farming households’ climate change adaptation strategies in Central Vietnam Bui Huy Nhuong1, Dinh Duc Truong 2*, Le Huy Huan2, Bui Thi Hoang Lan2, Nguyen Dieu Hang2, Duong Duc Tam2 1 University Board of Management, National Economics University (NEU), Vietnam, 2 Faculty of Environmental, Climate Change and Urban Studies, NEU, Vietnam * truongdd@neu.edu.vn Abstract This study investigates the determinants of household-level adaptation strategies to climate variability and saltwater intrusion in the coastal regions of Central Vietnam.

Using a Multinomial Logistic Regression (MNL) model, the analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey of 356 farming households, focusing on four primary adapta- tion measures: vegetable production, shrimp farming, adoption of salt-tolerant rice varieties, and the lotus-fish farming model. The results reveal that socio-economic, demographic, environmental, and institutional factors significantly influence the adoption of specific adaptation strategies. Key determinants include gender, edu- cation, age, farming experience, household income, land characteristics, access to information, credit services, membership in civic organizations, and participation in training programs. Male-headed households and those with greater access to climate information and social networks were more likely to adopt diverse and complex adap- tation strategies. In contrast, households with limited land resources, lower incomes, or lacking institutional support were less adaptive. The findings highlight the hetero- geneity of adaptive behaviors and the need for tailored interventions. From a policy perspective, enhancing institutional capacity—especially through targeted training, increased access to subsidized credit, and support for community-based organiza- tions—can significantly strengthen farmers’ adaptive capacities. Moreover, the study contributes to filling key research gaps in the Southeast Asian context by integrating socio-economic and environmental variables into a unified analytical framework. These insights are critical for designing inclusive and effective climate adaptation pol-

icies aimed at safeguarding rural livelihoods and promoting sustainable agricultural development in climate-vulnerable regions.