Drought risk assessment in Vietnamese communities using household survey information

Droughts can become disasters if the lack of water impacts vulnerable households. Yet, in many cases drought management relies on maps with relatively simple indicators based on hydro-meteorological data or measurements of other physical variables that are assumed to correlate with households’ drought exposure and vulnerability. This study contributes to more comprehensive drought risk assessments by combining a hydrological hazard indicator with socio-economic indicators for exposure and vulnerability derived from a household survey in a drought risk map for 13 communes in central Vietnam. We find that local and individual circumstances matter in drought risk assessment and that incorporating household survey information is key to understanding drought risks.