Cassava farmers’ perception on climate change: A case study in Van Yen district, Yen Bai province

ther 
information providers and multiple 
communication channels, this situation might 
create a complex and dynamic information 
environment. 
Farmers’ experiences encountering extreme 
weather events 
Van Yen has a high level of vulnerability to 
climate risks, mainly hot spells, acid rain, 
drought, and cold spells. They have been greatly 
affecting socio-economic activities and human 
safety there (Bui et al., 2020). 
Figure 4 lists some impacts of climate 
phenomena in the study area. A larger number of 
farmers (84.43%) pointed out that hot spells had 
Cassava farmers’ perception on climate changes: A case study in Van Yen district, Yen Bai province 
708 Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences 
Figure 5. Significant pathways in the structural equation model 
serious impacts on theire livelihood. Two 
farmers stated that “In summer 2019, many trees 
died due to temperatures reaching 40°C’ (male, 
45); ‘heat has an effect on livestock, as buffalos 
do not want to graze and spend time in the 
shade’. Approximately 60% of the surveyed 
households responded that droughts were having 
negative effects on agricultural systems, lives, 
and livelihoods alike. The following quotes 
illustrate some of the famers’ responses “In the 
first quarter of 2019, a period when plants 
needed a lot of water to grow, I could not irrigate 
due to lack of rain” (male, 55); “rice seedlings 
had withered due to drought” (female, 43); ‘it 
was hard for me to irrigate proactively as there 
was no rain at all in early 2019’ (female, 35). 
More than 80% of the interviewees reported that 
acid rain had a weaker influence on their 
livelihoods. Some said acid rains had negative 
impacts on production, such as changed leaf 
color of grapefruit and oranges, finally 
destroying the harvests. 
Structure equation model 
SEM results (Figure 5) show that the model 
is compatible with data research and conceptual 
framework. Overall, weather-related information 
had the largest influence on farmers' perception 
of climate change (β = 0.277, P< 0.05). That is, 
the more weather forecast information they 
received, the more they perceived about climate 
change. This result is in line with a previous 
finding (Bloodhart et al., 2015). Moreover, 
whether farmers perceived climate phenomena 
impacts and whether they were aware of 
government implementations about climate 
change adaptation positively influenced farmers’ 
perception of climate change (β = 0.268, P< 0.05; 
and β = 0.119, P< 0.05, respectively). These 
findings correlate fairly well with those of Van 
der Linden (2014) and Myers et al. (2013). 
Household wealth rank had a larger direct effect 
on farmers’ understanding of policies related to 
climate change mitigation and adaptation (β = 
0.223, P< 0.05) than farmers’ perception of 
Nguyen Hai Nui et al. (2020) 
https://vjas.vnua.edu.vn/ 709 
climate change (β = 0.119, P< 0.05). This finding 
indicates that well-off farmers had a better 
understanding of climate change and government 
supports to tackle climate change. 
Conclusions 
The results of this study showed that cassava 
farmers, in general, perceived climate change’s 
existence and its impacts. Among the three 
independent variables, accessibility to weather 
information had the greatest influence on 
farmers’ perceptions (marginal value = 0.277), 
followed by farmers’ experience of extreme 
weather events (0.268) and their knowledge of 
supporting programs/policies/projects (0.119). 
Understanding these relationships is important 
for future relevant research. 
Farmers received climate information quite 
often. However, only a few of them were aware 
of adaptation plans at the district level. They also 
needed accurate weather information for farming 
activities while many were not satisfied with the 
quality of weather information they received on 
the daily basis. Based on this, we recommend 
that weather forecasts should be downscaled to 
be more location-specific. 
The research findings also suggested the 
investigation of farmers’ perceptions of climate 
change and climate impacts prior to conducting 
priority setting for adaptation and mitigation 
measures to enhance adaptive capacity and 
resilience of farmers in climate-vulnerable regions 
in New Rural Development’s 2021-2030 Strategy. 
Acknowledgements 
This study was jointly funded by: 
The Climate Change, Agriculture and Food 
Security (CCAFS) for Southeast Asia through 
the C-2019-148 research project “Impact 
assessment of a local seventeen-year initiative on 
conservation agriculture on sloping cassava 
plantations, as a climate-smart agricultural 
(CSA) practice, in Van Yen district of Yen Bai 
province”. 
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 
Development through the research project 
“Scaling climate-smart villages in Yen Bai 
province to promote implementation of climate-
smart agriculture and One Commune One 
Product (OCOP) initiative of the National Target 
Program on New Rural Development”. 
The Irish Aid under the Embassy of Ireland 
in Hanoi through the VIBE 2018.05 project “NUI 
Galway – Vietnam National University of 
Agriculture (VNUA) Vietnam Ireland Bilateral 
Education Exchange (VIBE) Programme on 
Climate Resilient Agriculture and 
Environmentally Sustainable Landscapes”. 
References 
Alam G. M. M., Alam K. & Mushtaq S. (2017). Climate 
change perceptions and local adaptation strategies of 
hazard-prone rural households in Bangladesh. Climate 
Risk Management. 17: 52-63. DOI: 
10.1016/j.crm.2017.06.006. 
Arunrat N., Wang C., Pumijumnong N., Sereenonchai S. & 
Cai W. (2016). Farmers' intention and decision to adapt 
to climate change: A case study in the Yom and Nan 
basins, Phichit province of Thailand. Journal of 
Cleaner Production. 143. DOI: 
10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.058.198. 233-239. 
10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.04.073. 
Bloodhart B., Maibach E., Myers T. & Zhao X. (2015). 
Local climate experts: The influence of local TV 
weather information on climate change perceptions. 
PLoS One. 10(11): 1-14. DOI: 
10.1371/journal.pone.0141526. 
Bryan E., Ringler C., Okoba B. O., Roncoli C., Silvestri S. 
& Herrero M. (2013). Adapting agriculture to climate 
change in Kenya: Household strategies and 
determinants. Journal of environmental management. 
114C: 26-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.10.036. 
Bui L. V., Nguyen H. N., Nguyen T. C., Nguyen D. T., 
Trieu H. L., Doan T. T., Nguyen D. T., Vu T. B. & 
Nguyen T. H. (2020). Impact assessment of a local 
seventeen-year initiative on cassava-based soil 
conservation measure on sloping land as a climate-
smart agriculture practice in Van Yen District, Yen Bai 
Province, Vietnam. CCAFS Working Paper No. 308. 
Wageningen, the Netherlands: CGIAR Research 
Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food 
Security (CCAFS). Retrieved from 
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/108289 on 
June 4, 2020. 
CGIAR (2016). The drought crisis in the Central Highlands 
of Vietnam - Assessment Report. Retrieved from 
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/rest/bitstreams/78532/retriev
e on May 23, 2020. 
Dal B., Ozturk N., Alper U., Sönmez D., Mısır M. & 
Cokelez A. (2014). Perception of climate change: 
Cassava farmers’ perception on climate changes: A case study in Van Yen district, Yen Bai province 
710 Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences 
Reasons, consequences, and willingness to act. How 
aware are they? International Journal for Cross-
Disciplinary Subjects in Education. 4: 1930-1937. 
DOI: 10.20533/ijcdse.2042.6364.2014.0268. 
Dang L. H., Li E., Bruwer J. & Nuberg I. (2013). Farmers’ 
perceptions of climate variability and barriers to 
adaptation: lessons learned from an exploratory study 
in Vietnam. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for 
Global Change. DOI: 10.1007/s11027-012-9447-6. 
Dang L. H., Li E., Nuberg I. & Bruwer J. (2014). Farmers’ 
Perceived Risks of Climate Change and Influencing 
Factors: A Study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. 
Environmental Management. 54(2): 331-345. DOI: 
10.1007/s00267-014-0299-6. 
FAO (2013). Climate-smart agriculture sourcebook. 
Retrieved from  on 
May 17, 2020. Rome. 
Gandure S., Walker S. & Botha J. (2013). Farmers' 
perceptions of adaptation to climate change and water 
stress in a South African rural community. 
Environmental Development. 5: 39-53. DOI: 
10.1016/j.envdev.2012.11.004. 
Hair Jr. J. F., Hult G. T. M., Ringle C. & Sarstedt M. (2016). 
A primer on partial least squares structural equation 
modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage publications. 
Harris P. (2007). Local television news is the place for 
weather forecasts for a plurality of Americans. The 
Harris Poll #118, issued on November 28, 2007. 
Retrieved from https://theharrispoll.com/local-
television-news-is-the-place-for-weather-forecasts-
for-a-plurality-of-americans-11-28-2007/ on 
December 21, 2020. 
Huong N. T. L., Shun Bo Y. & Fahad S. (2017). Farmers’ 
perception, awareness and adaptation to climate 
change: evidence from northwest 
Vietnam. International Journal of Climate Change 
Strategies and Management. 9(4): 555-576. DOI: 
10.1108/IJCCSM-02-2017-0032. 
Huynh Thi Lan Huong, Nguyen Thi Lieu, Tran Van Tra, 
Tran Thanh Thuy, Vu Duc Dang Quang, Tran Tien 
Dung. (2018). Impacts of climate changes to 
Vietnam’s sustainable development. Journal for 
Climate Change Sciences. Vietnam Institute of 
Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change. 6: 23-
33 (in Vietnamese). 
Iarossi G. (2006). The Power of Survey Design : A User's 
Guide for Managing Surveys, Interpreting Results, and 
Influencing Respondents. Washington, DC: World 
Bank. © World Bank. Retrieved from 
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/6
975 on October 22, 2020. License: CC BY 3.0 IGO. 
IPCC (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special 
Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C 
above pre-industrial levels and related global 
greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of 
strengthening the global response to the threat of 
climate change, sustainable development, and efforts 
to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, 
H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. 
Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. 
Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. 
Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. 
Waterfield (Eds.)]. In Press. 
Jawlik A. A. (2016). Statistics from a to z: Confusing 
concepts clarified. John Wiley & Sons. 
John Wiley & Sons.Kiritani K. (2013). Different effects of 
climate change on the population dynamics of insects. 
Applied Entomology Zoology. 48: 97-104. DOI: 
10.1007/s13355-012-0158-y. 
Lazo J. K., Morss R. E. & Demuth J. L. (2009). 300 billion 
served: Sources, perceptions, uses, and values of 
weather forecasts. Bulletin of the American 
Meteorological Society. 90(6): 785-798. 
Li S., Juhász-Horváth L., Harrison P., Pinter L. & Rounsevell 
M. (2017). Relating farmer's perceptions of climate 
change risk to adaptation behaviour in Hungary. Journal 
of Environmental Management. 185: 21-30. DOI: 
10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.10.051. 
Likert R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of 
attitudes. Archives of Psychology. 140: 5-55. 
McKinley J., Adaro C., Pede V. O., Rutsaert P., Setiyono 
T., Cong Thang T., Lien Huong D., Trung Kien N., 
Balangue Z., Bandyopadhyay S., Sheinkman M. & 
Wassman R. (2016). Gender Differences in Climate 
Change Perception and Adaptation Strategies: The 
Case of Three Provinces in Vietnam’s Mekong River 
Delta, CCAFS Report. CGIAR Research Program on 
Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security 
(CCAFS). Copenhagen, Denmark. Retrieved from 
www.ccafs.cgiar.org on May 20, 2020. 
Mulwa C., Marenya P., Rahut D. B. & Berresaw M. (2017). 
Response to Climate Risks among Smallholder 
Farmers in Malawi: A Multivariate Probit Assessment 
of the Role of Information, Household Demographics, 
and Farm Characteristics. Climate Risk Management. 
16: 208-221. DOI: 16. 10.1016/j.crm.2017.01.002. 
Myers T. A., Maibach E. W., Roser-Renouf C., Akerlof K. 
& Leiserowitz A. A. (2013). The relationship between 
personal experience and belief in the reality of global 
warming. Nature Climate Change. 3(4): 343-347. 
Ngo Thi Van Anh, Le Van Quy, Le Van Linh, Tran Thi 
Dieu Hang. (2018). Review and propose to improve 
the monitoring system acid deposition in Vietnam. 
Journal for Climate Change Sciences. Vietnam 
Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate 
Change. (8): 1-11 (in Vietnamese). 
Nguyen V. K. (2014). Investigation of roles of factors that 
are related to soil erosion in Vietnam. Journal for Forestry 
Sciences. 1/2014 (3145 - 3153). Vietnamese Academy of 
Forestry Sciences – VAFS. ISSN: 1859-0373. 
Nyanga P., Johnsen F., Aune J. & Kalinda, T. (2011). 
Smallholder Farmers' Perceptions of Climate Change 
and Conservation Agriculture: Evidence from Zambia. 
Journal of Sustainable Development. 4(4): 73-85. DOI: 
10.5539/jsd.v4n4p73. 
Nguyen Hai Nui et al. (2020) 
https://vjas.vnua.edu.vn/ 711 
Ou Q. (2017). A Brief Introduction to Perception. Studies in 
Literature and Language. 15 (4): 18-28. DOI: 
10.3968/10055. 
Peterson R. A. (1994). A meta-analysis of Cronbach's 
coefficient alpha. Journal of Consumer 
Research. 21(2): 381-391. 
Reyes C. M., Domingo S. N., Mina C. D. & Gonzales K. G. 
(2009). Climate variability, SCF, and corn farming in 
Isabela, Philippines: a farm and household level 
analysis. Philippine Institute for Development Studies. 
Simelton E., Le V. H., Duong M. T. & Le D. H. (2017). 
Climate-induced vulnerabilities: Participatory 
assessment for My Loi village, Ky Son commune, Ky 
Anh district, Ha Tinh province. CCAFS Working 
Paper no. 216. Wageningen, The Netherlands: CGIAR 
Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture 
and Food Security (CCAFS). Retrieved on May 17, 
2020 from www.ccafs.cgiar.org. 
Tuan V. D., Hilger T., MacDonald L., Clemens G., 
 Shiraishi E., Vien T. D., Stahr K. & Cadisch G. (2014). 
Mitigation potential of soil conservation in maize 
cropping on steep slopes. Field Crops Research. 156: 
91-102. 
Van der Linden S. (2014). On the relationship between 
personal experience, affect and risk perception: The 
case of climate change. European Journal of Social 
Psychology. 44(5): 430-440. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2008. 
Vu Van Thang, Nguyen Dang Mau, Nguyen Huu Quyen, 
Pham Thi Hai Yen, Tran Thi Thao, Truong Thi Thanh 
Thuy, Tran Trung Nghia, Phung Thi My Linh. (2018). 
Climate assessment in 2017 in Vietnam. Journal for 
Climate Change Sciences. Vietnam Institute of 
Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change. 8: 13-
22 (in Vietnamese). 
Whitmarsh L. & Capstick S. (2018). Perceptions of climate 
change. In: Psychology and climate change. Academic 
Press: 13-33.