Impacts and Damage of Climate Change Hazards in the Van Chan Mountain

Abstract

The third section of this book is about the climate change effects and risks in the mountains which form the natural border between China and Vietnam. The Van Chan district in this mountainous area was selected as the study area and illustrates the problems in the wider mountain highlands. The district yearly faces cyclones, heavy rains, floods, and also long cold and drought periods. This affects the local agriculture , household income, and livelihood . Therefore the area was selected as a study area which illustrates for the climate change -associated effects in the mountains of the Vietnamese-Sino borderland.

The chapter first addresses the areas at risk. Indexes for landslides and floods allow discriminating places according to the intensity they are prone to these extreme weather effects. A review of the yearly recurring extreme weather situations and long periods of drought and frost and their main effects (floods, landslides, impacts on health and socioeconomic sectors ) for the 1999–2015 period shows that the region yearly faces major problems, in particular during the rainy and storm season from July to August in the winter time. An indicative estimation of the direct costs caused by these extreme weather phenomena is provided.