Coping with disasters in Vietnam
New research in Vietnam, led by Elisabeth Simelton of the World Agroforestry Centre, suggests that agroforestry can help farmers to cope with extreme weather events.
The researchers interviewed farmers in 21 villages in northern and north-central Vietnam and asked them about their experiences with trees and crops affected by major events such as droughts, floods and storms. The key finding was that farms with trees tended to recover more rapidly after most types of natural disasters – cold spells excepted – than farms with fewer trees. Incorporating trees in farming systems reduces risk in a number of ways. Trees are generally more resilient to extreme weather and also act as windshields, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil fertility and moisture retention for surrounding crops. Compared to most crops, the wood provides some value or purpose, even if the tree has been damaged or uprooted.
Individual farmers’ experience with trees – and their uses as coping mechanisms – depended on their income status, their awareness of species and their management, and government policies. Existing agroforestry systems reflected a transition from indigenous farming systems to the use of new species and technologies.
However, many farmers were still unfamiliar with agroforestry and its possible benefits. To increase adoption, the researchers decided that rather than discussing new species and new technologies at the same time, it might be more effective to start with what farmers already knew. They recommended that either new species should be planted in a familiar way – such as adding understory plants in gardens – or familiar species should be planted in a new way, such as along contours. Gradually, farmers would observe the benefits – both environmental and economic – of these new agroforestry systems.However, if farmers are going to be encouraged to plant more trees on their land, they need support from policymakers and land-use planners. At present, this support is typically limited to few species for reforestation programmes.
“This is among the first quantitative evidence from Vietnam about the value of agroforestry and trees from a land-use planning perspective,” says Simelton. More studies of this nature would provide strong economic arguments for policymakers to support diverse and permanent agroforestry systems.
Reference
- Simelton E, Dam VB, Catacutan D. 2015. Treesand agroforestry for coping with extreme weatherevents: experiences from northern and centralVietnam. Agroforestry Systems. DOI 10.1007/s10457-015-9835-5.
