Exposure to Climatic Risks and Social Sustainability in Vietnam

Abstract

This article constructed two spatial indices to better understand the interactions between social sustainability (an important but poorly defined concept) and exposure to climatic and environmental risks. The indices, and the Choropleth maps used to represent them, can be combined and operationalized across different country contexts to yield insights into how climate change and social vulnerabilities intersect and can be jointly addressed. The two indices were here applied to Vietnam, a country particularly exposed to climate change. While Vietnam is well-known for its vulnerability to changing temperatures and rising sea levels, there was huge variation within and between regions for these two risks. The analysis also found enormous spatial variation within the risks from precipitation, drought, deforestation, and air pollution. Social inclusion generally outperformed resilience and social cohesion, as well as empowerment in Vietnam. Our findings were robust for choices of indicators, weights, and aggregation specifications.