Livelihood sustainability of small-scale fishing households: an empirical analysis of U Minh wetland, Ca Mau province, Vietnam

Abstract

This paper used the UK Agency for International Development sustainable livelihood framework to measure small-scale in-land fishing household’s livelihood by sustainable livelihood capital index in the vulnerable context of aquatic natural resource depletion in the wetland forest of Ca Mau province, Vietnam. Findings indicated that fishing households’ livelihood capital is unsustainable and inadequate. The result took note of the beneficial physical capital while underlining the human, natural, financial, and social capital’s limitations in achieving livelihood sustainability. The limitations were found to be a low score of composite index of sustainable livelihood capital (less than an average score of 0.5) whereas the outstanding score of physical capital was found. Providing training in the adoption of new livelihood models, learning livelihood diversification, access to formal credit, and appropriate coverage of social safety-net programs might help mitigate the unsustainable livelihood of inland fishing households.

Keywords

• Livelihood status
• Sustainable livelihood capital index (SLCI)
• Small-scale
• Inland fishing
• U Minh