This paper presents a study on the impacts of recurring droughts on communities in the Ninh Thuan province of Viet Nam. It examines the root causes of drought in the region, people's perceptions of drought-related vulnerabilities in relation to climate change, and what action is most appropriate to combat the problem. The authors analyse research results of discussions on the adequacy of disaster response and adaptation strategies and find that they reflect the development level of the area.
Several policy options for drought-risk mitigation and vulnerability reduction are identified. These include providing more microfinance to mitigate the effect of lack of capital after crop damage from droughts, and forming drought management boards.
The authors recommend that the following activities should be undertaken before acting upon the policy options identified in the previous section:
feasibility studies to narrow down the policy options and to increase the success of identified policy options
stakeholder consultations to identify stakeholders and distribute responsibilities prioritise the policy options based on the resources available with various stakeholders
stakeholder consultations will also identify the gaps in the existing capacity within the intervening agencies and identify the time-frame for implementation of drought risk-reduction activities.