Governance of rice production under climate change in northern Vietnam

Rice production plays a particularly vital role for Vietnam in terms of food security, rural employment and foreign exchange. Vietnam’s rice production however is confronting threat from climate change with the visible phenomena of sea level rise and extreme weather events. This raises an important question of how to govern rice production under climate change. This research not only looks for specific adaptation strategies to future climate change but also investigates non-climatic issues that may enhance the institutions and governance structures of rice production. Three empirical studies were conducted: (1) a case study of the “large-scale field” policy in rice production; (2) a behavioral experiment about self-governance and endogenously designed rules for irrigation systems; and (3) a qualitative comparative analysis of the response to extreme weather events in rice production at local level. The findings with regard to the response to extreme weather events in rice production suggest that the likelihood of successful response in the studying sites might be increased through measures that either reduce the sensitivity of rice production to extreme weather events or improve information dissemination during the response process. Moreover, it is essential for governing rice production under climate change to: (1) follow the principle of alignment between the governance system and characteristics of rice production; (2) promote biodiversity; (3) encourage the participation of farmers in designing and implementing rules used to allocate resources; (4) and to take advantage of farmers’ experience and knowledge for daily cultivation and the response to climate change.