Environmental disturbances and migration in Vietnam

The impact of environmental disturbances on migratory movements is a matter of actuality in a context of accelerating climate change, notably in Asia where extreme weather events are particularly common. With over 50% of its population in coastal lowlands, Vietnam has attracted the attention of researchers.This article analyzes the effects of flooding on the propensity to migrate in Vietnam. Our analysis is based on data from a survey conducted in 2013 among 470 households in three provinces of central Vietnam which have been very affected by floods in 2008 and 2010. The analysis examines the factors associated with the migration of one or more household members since the 2008 floods. When asked about the cause of the migration of a household member, respondents rarely associate migration to environmental disturbances. The results of the multivariate analysis show that climate vulnerability does not affect directly the propensity to migrate and that household sociodemographic characteristics are significant. These results corroborate other studies which conclude that climatic events are not sufficient to induce internal and international migration; other conditions are necessary to trigger migration.