<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In April 2016, four provinces of Vietnam were struck by one of the largest manmade environmental incidents in Vietnam. Through a discharge of toxic chemicals by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation, oceanic waters along Vietnam’s central coast were severely polluted. Consequently, the livelihoods of over 510,000 people living in coastal communities were severely affected by the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation incident (FHS incident). This study focusses on <italic>ex-ante</italic> and <italic>ex-post</italic> differences in livelihoods, and the subjective resilience of small-fishery households affected by the FHS incident in Hải Dương commune, a small coastal community, in central Vietnam. This was done through a qualitative analysis of livelihood strategies and resilience capacities of the affected households. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30), expert interviews (n = 3) and secondary data analysis were conducted from March to May 2018 employing a case study approach. Results show that the level of subjective resilience was strongly affected by a combination of social, financial, and human capitals. The presence, or lack, of these capitals combined with contextual factors influenced the livelihood strategies a household could pursue. Households that were able to pursue a combination of intensifying and diversifying livelihood strategies were most successful in recovering from and adjusting to the environmental incident. Households with restrained access to livelihood capitals were limited to intensifying livelihood strategies, having no real other option than persistence and increased dependence on government subsidies. Lastly, migration as a livelihood strategy and subsequent transformative resilience capacities remained generally low.</p>
</abstract>

In April 2016, four provinces of Vietnam were struck by one of the largest manmade environmental incidents in Vietnam. Through a discharge of toxic chemicals by Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation, oceanic waters along Vietnam’s central coast were severely polluted. Consequently, the livelihoods of over 510,000 people living in coastal communities were severely affected by the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation incident (FHS incident). This study focusses on ex-ante and ex-post differences in livelihoods, and the subjective resilience of small-fishery households affected by the FHS incident in Hải Dương commune, a small coastal community, in central Vietnam. This was done through a qualitative analysis of livelihood strategies and resilience capacities of the affected households. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30), expert interviews (n = 3) and secondary data analysis were conducted from March to May 2018 employing a case study approach. Results show that the level of subjective resilience was strongly affected by a combination of social, financial, and human capitals. The presence, or lack, of these capitals combined with contextual factors influenced the livelihood strategies a household could pursue. Households that were able to pursue a combination of intensifying and diversifying livelihood strategies were most successful in recovering from and adjusting to the environmental incident. Households with restrained access to livelihood capitals were limited to intensifying livelihood strategies, having no real other option than persistence and increased dependence on government subsidies. Lastly, migration as a livelihood strategy and subsequent transformative resilience capacities remained generally low.

The 2016 Vietnam marine life incident: measures of subjective resilience and livelihood implications for affected small-fishery communities

Department of Science, International Cooperation and Library

University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University

Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

In April 2016, four provinces of Vietnam were struck by one of the largest manmade environmental incidents in Vietnam. Through a discharge of toxic chemicals...

The 2016 Vietnam marine life incident: measures of subjective resilience and livelihood implications for affected small-fishery communities

Published Online: Mar 31, 2022

Page range: 1 - 12

Received: Nov 03, 2021

Accepted: Mar 05, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2022-0001

Keywords
small-scale fishery communities, subjective resilience capacities, manmade environmental disasters, Central Vietnam, livelihood strategies

© 2022 Pham Huu Ty et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The 2016 Vietnam marine life incident: measures of subjective resilience and livelihood implications for affected small-fishery communities

Published Online: Mar 31, 2022

Page range: 1 - 12

Received: Nov 03, 2021

Accepted: Mar 05, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/environ-2022-0001

Keywordssmall-scale fishery communities, subjective resilience capacities, manmade environmental disasters, Central Vietnam, livelihood strategies

© 2022 Pham Huu Ty et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
small-scale fishery communities, subjective resilience capacities, manmade environmental disasters, Central Vietnam, livelihood strategies