Learning as an everyday adaptation practice in the rural Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract

The everyday adaptation practices in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta are characterized by the well-defined nuance of human-nature interactions under the compounding impacts of climate change, localized dyke development policies, and upstream hydropower dynamics. This gives rise to a so-called 'learn-to-adapt' approach that has been widely practised by the rural societies. This viewpoint argues that learning constitutes a key form of adaptation that enables rural farmers to bring together pools of adaptive knowledge in resolving shared problems. It particularly illustrates the significance of communicative and reflective learning practices that enable farmers to communicate and exchange experimental and experiential knowledge. These everyday practices enable farmers to make informed decisions in mobilizing necessary resources and capacity to accommodate changing conditions and secure their livelihoods at stake. The viewpoint particularly highlights how the everyday adaptation practices allow farmers to develop a variety of innovative production models which contribute to not only enhancing farmers' adaptive capacity but also advancing rural development policies.