Abstract

This study analyzes the factors that influence the choice of saltwater intrusion adaptation strategies of farmers living in Vietnam’s Central Coastal region, using a multinomial choice model fitted to data from a cross-sectional survey of 414 farmers. The adaptation strategies identified include cultivating new varieties of rice or switching to papyrus planting, vegetable planting, shrimp production, or lotus–fish production. The results reveal that family size decreases the likelihood of applying new varieties of rice and plant papyrus but increases the probability of applying shrimp production. The level of education of the household’s head negatively impacts the probability of switching to new varieties of rice and shrimp production but positively affects the odds of implementing papyrus and vegetable production. The older, more experienced farmers are more likely to cultivate new varieties of rice. Regarding the farm’s characteristics, the higher the percentage of salted land and the less serious the saltwater intrusion level, the higher the probability of switching to shrimp or lotus–fish production. Access to information from the local authorities, taking part in training courses, and being a member of Vietnamese Women Union all promote adaptation to saltwater intrusion. From a policy perspective, we recommend that the government develop official media channels to promote saltwater intrusion adaptation, organize more training courses for farmers, support the activities of the Woman Union, and relax constraints on accessing public credit.