Analysis of Constraints in Agricultural Production for Climate Change Adaptation in Thanh Phu District, Mekong Delta Vietnam

Background and objective: Climate change represents a critical challenge to agricultural sustainability, particularly in vulnerable coastal regions. Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province, located in the Mekong Delta, experiences significant vulnerability to saltwater intrusion and climate variability. This study aimed to identify and rank barriers affecting farmers' adaptive capacity to climate change using Garrett's ranking methodology.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 among 200 farming households across five communes in Thanh Phu District. Participants were selected using simple random sampling following Cochran's formula (n = 202, ± 7% margin of error). Data collection employed structured questionnaires containing 33 items assessing nine primary adaptation barriers. Garrett's ranking method was applied to convert ordinal rankings into quantitative scores using percentage position calculations and standardized conversion tables. Total and mean Garrett scores were calculated to establish barrier hierarchies.Results: Three barrier categories emerged based on mean Garrett scores. High-impact barriers (> 300 points) included climate change impacts on natural resources (990.95), insufficient information (345.01), and prolonged timeframes for observing adaptation outcomes (318.78). Medium-impact barriers (100-300 points) comprised insufficient social and institutional support (239.60), deficient agricultural techniques and low educational attainment (206.84), and high investment costs with financial capital deficiency (155.26). Low-impact barriers (< 100 points) encompassed elderly age and poor health (88.63), inadequate infrastructure (78.00), and restricted credit accessibility (74.54).Conclusion: Environmental and informational constraints supersede economic barriers in farmers' adaptation priorities. These findings indicate the necessity for policy frameworks emphasizing resource management and information dissemination rather than solely financial interventions. The research provides empirical evidence supporting integrated climate adaptation strategies for sustainable agricultural development in vulnerable coastal regions.