Impacting Factors on Livelihood Diversity of Farm Households around the Ba-Lai Sluice Gate, Ben-Tre Province

This study aims to identify factors affecting livelihood diversification among farm households surrounding the Ba-Lai sluice gate in Ben-Tre province, based on a survey of 363 households. A binary logistic regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between five types of livelihood capital (human, natural, physical, financial, and social) and the likelihood of household livelihood diversification, measured using Simpson’s Index of Diversity (SID). Results indicate that factors significantly influencing diversification include age and gender of household head, technical knowledge, access to market and disaster information, water availability, forms of savings, availability of community support networks, and connections with traders. The average SID value of 0.16 suggests limited diversification across the study area, with rice-growing households showing the highest diversification propensity (43.1%). The study provides important insights for developing targeted policies to promote sustainable livelihood diversification strategies in areas affected by water infrastructure projects and environmental changes.