The multi-criteria decision making for evaluation of vulnerability to climate change: A case study in Vietnam

Abstract

Vulnerability to climate change can reflect systemic weakness and, in particular, a susceptibility to severe events such as storms, floods, high temperature, and droughts. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines vulnerability as a combination of characteristics and magnitudes that express exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. This paper aims at proposing a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach for the evaluation of vulnerability to climate change in coastal provinces in Vietnam. An integrated approach is performed to achieve the most relevant outcome. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are combined to show the most vulnerability in terms of livelihoods in 28 coastal zones in Vietnam. The results, in terms of livelihoods, show that Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Thai Binh are the most vulnerable to sea level rise as the population density near the coastline significantly contributes to enhanced vulnerability to climate change. In conclusion, this study provides useful information about the climate change vulnerability ranking and suggests how to evaluate the vulnerability degree of zones, thereby helping managers to propose adaptive solutions for the high-risk zones in Vietnam.