N N Thuy and H H Anh

Abstract
This study constructed and evaluated the livelihood vulnerability index of small scale tea farming households in Lam Dong Province. It then determined the factors that can increase or reduce their vulnerability. The vulnerability to stresses of weather, climate, production linkages, and product consumption was viewed as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The results showed that most of the households had very high exposure indices to changes in weather, climate, and natural conditions, showing that tea farming activities depended immensely on nature. The sensitivity to pressures of livelihoods, product consumption, or damages from climate variability was moderate. Tea farming households in Lam Dong province had relatively low adaptive capacity indices. The composite vulnerability index was calculated and provided an average of 0.56. The moderately vulnerable group comprised of 71 households (equal to 26.3% of the sample), the highly vulnerable group had 198 households (73.3%), and the extremely vulnerable group had one household (0.4%). The regression model revealed that risk-dependent livelihood, poverty, receiving support from acquaintances or the local government could worsen the vulnerability, while training and production experience can help lessen it.