Factors affecting the change of agricultural livelihoods of farmers adapting to water resource reduction in the highland area in An Giang province, Vietnam

Abstract Currently, water shortages are affecting agricultural production in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Consequently, most farmers have changed their current cropping patterns to other patterns that need less water. The factors affecting this change have not so far been deeply analyzed, especially in the higher terrain areas of the delta. This study intends to identify and understand factors causing change in the agricultural livelihoods of farmers in the highland area of An Giang province. Farm household surveys (90 households) were used to collect information on the changes in agricultural livelihoods and identify the causal factors. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to analyze these affecting factors, based on variables in household livelihood assets. The results show that farmers have at least three livelihood choices: change from rice to vegetable, change from rice to rice and-vegetable, and change from rice to fruit. The results from multinomial logistic regression show that livelihood choices are affected by households’ types of assets: human (number of employees involved, perception of farmers); natural (cultivated land area, the distance between the water source and the cultivated land area); financial (household income); and social (relationship with friends and relatives). Therefore, to increase the sustainability of existing livelihood models, it is necessary to improve the capacity of farmers through technical training sessions, promote social networks within the farming community and provide financial support policies for farmers.