Examining the impact of climate information access on adaptive behaviors during heatwaves: insights from Central Vietnam

This study focuses on the correlation between the different sources of climatic information involving the Short Message Service (SMS), social networks, local governments, online platforms, and workplaces and the individual adaptation measures concerning heatwaves. The survey data were obtained from four areas in central Vietnam involving 400 respondents. We used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated, aiming to mitigate selection bias. Findings indicate that the availability of various information sources encourages communities to address rising heat stress, with information sourced from SMS, social media platforms, local authorities, and workplaces being prominent. The findings signal the need to increase the visibility of heatwave data, which can change people’s behavior to reduce climate risks. In order to accomplish this goal, it is important to focus on climate change information sharing through platforms such as social networks, local administration offices, and the workplace in coping with climate change-related threats.