Do the Ends Represent the Means? Assessing Adaptive Capacity Determinants against Proactive and Reactive Adaptive Actions in Vietnam’s Coffee Growing Region

With the introduction of the Global Goal on Adaptation in the Paris Agreement and the mandate to track progress under it, there is an increased demand to assess adaptive capacity to climate and weather risk. In this analysis, we explore how determinants of adaptive capacity relate to proactive and reactive adaptive behaviors. Using a household panel survey in a coffee growing smallholder system in Vietnam, we empirically evaluate three types of adaptive actions: (i) response to experienced shock events (reactive), (ii) preparation for perceived future shock events (proactive), and (iii) adjustment to climate change and slow-onset risk (proactive). We find that proactive actions toward shock events (ii) and toward climate change (iii) reflect adaptive capacity theory well—although not identically, while reactive actions toward shocks (i) need more clarification. Our results confirm that key determinants of adaptive capacity do not always lead to increased action. The relationships between specific determinants and realized actions depend on the type of risk being addressed, and if actions were taken proactively or reactively. The approach allows us to address challenges of conceptual ambiguity—particularly the cyclical nature of determinants and adaptive actions. Our results have implications for designing and monitoring adaptation and development interventions, necessitating a better understanding of the underlying determinants that differentially influence adaptive actions

Adaptive capacity · Adaptive Management · Adaptive strategies · Climate change · Livelihood · Psychological resilience · Agricultural Innovations and Practices · Climate change impacts on agriculture · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management