Merging science into community adaptation planning processes: a cross-site comparison of four distinct areas of the Lower Mekong Basin; Supplementary Materials

Online Resource 1. Demographics of community participants in planning processes (at time of baseline survey)

Kien Giang, VN / Kampong Thom, KH / Khammouan, LA / Chiang Rai, TH
% / N=358 / % / N=173 / % / N=99 / % / N=154
Gender
1. Male / 42.5 / 152 / 38.7 / 67 / 46.5 / 46 / 53.2 / 82
2. Female / 57.5 / 206 / 61.3 / 106 / 53.5 / 53 / 46.8 / 72
Age
1. 15-19 years / 0.3 / 1 / 4.0 / 7 / 11.1 / 11 / 4.5 / 7
2. 20-29 years / 9.2 / 33 / 17.9 / 31 / 12.1 / 12 / 13.6 / 21
3. 30-39 years / 23.7 / 85 / 20.8 / 36 / 28.3 / 28 / 31.8 / 48
4. 40-49 years / 28.8 / 103 / 23.1 / 40 / 21.2 / 21 / 27.9 / 44
5. 50-59 years / 24.6 / 88 / 22.0 / 38 / 18.2 / 18 / 13.0 / 20
6. 60 or older / 13.4 / 48 / 12.1 / 21 / 9.1 / 9 / 9.1 / 14
Marital Status
1. Single / 4.2 / 15 / 8.7 / 15 / 4.0 / 4 / 11.0 / 17
2. Married / 92.7 / 332 / 79.2 / 137 / 91.9 / 91 / 88.3 / 136
3. Divorced/widow / 3.1 / 11 / 12.1 / 21 / 4.0 / 4 / 0.7 / 1
Parental Status
1. Have children / 96.1 / 344 / 89.6 / 155 / 90.9 / 90 / 89.0 / 137
0. Don’t have children / 3.9 / 14 / 10.4 / 18 / 9.1 / 9 / 11.0 / 17
Education
1. No school / 10.1 / 36 / 34.7 / 60 / 54.6 / 54 / 50.6 / 78
2. Primary school / 53.1 / 190 / 45.1 / 78 / 30.3 / 30 / 29.2 / 45
3. Secondary school / 30.7 / 110 / 9.8 / 17 / 9.1 / 9 / 14.9 / 23
4. High school / 4.5 / 16 / 4.0 / 7 / 2.0 / 2 / 2.6 / 4
5. Technical/vocational / - / 0 / 5.2 / 9 / 1.0 / 1 / - / 0
6. College/university / 1.7 / 6 / 1.2 / 2 / 3.0 / 3 / 2.6 / 4
Occupation
1. Crop production / 1.7 / 6 / 78.6 / 136 / 3.0 / 3 / 52.6 / 81
2. Culture fisheries / 60.1 / 215 / 0.6 / 1 / 0.0 / 0 / - / 0
3. Capture fisheries / 4.5 / 16 / 0.6 / 1 / 0.0 / 0 / - / 0
4. Animal husbandry / 0.3 / 1 / 1.7 / 3 / 69.7 / 69 / - / 0
5. Business / 6.4 / 23 / 4.6 / 8 / 1.0 / 1 / 2.0 / 3
6. Forest user / 0.0 / 0 / 1.2 / 2 / 17.2 / 17 / 2.0 / 3
7. Regular employment / 3.9 / 14 / 1.2 / 2 / 0.0 / 0 / 4.6 / 7
8. Casual labor / 21.0 / 75 / 4.6 / 8 / 0.0 / 0 / 31.2 / 48
9. No job / 1.4 / 5 / 2.3 / 4 / 8.1 / 8 / 7.1 / 11
10. Remittance / 0.6 / 2 / - / 0 / 1.0 / 1 / 0.7 / 1
11. Other / 0.3 / 1 / 4.6 / 8 / 0.0 / 0 / - / 0
Perceived wealth
1. Well-off group / 3.1 / 11 / 1.2 / 2 / 0.0 / 0 / 1.3 / 2
2. Average group / 55.9 / 200 / 62.4 / 108 / 65.7 / 65 / 52.6 / 81
3. Poor group / 40.8 / 146 / 36.4 / 63 / 32.3 / 32 / 45.5 / 70
4. Don't know / 0.3 / 1 / - / - / 2.0 / 2 / 0.7 / 1

Online Resource 2. Thuan Hoa Commune (Vietnam): scientific assessment versus community perceptions of climate change vulnerability

Site Location / Science-based Projected Vulnerability / Community-perceived Vulnerability
Thuan Hoa Commune
Kien Giang Province
Vietnam / Aquaculture: more extreme temperatures (between 37-41°C) projected between March and May (compared to baseline extremes of 35-38°C), compromising shrimp and prawn production; 30 cm sea level rise will erode coastlines, inundate large areas, and increase salinity in the canal network especially during the dry season; increased precipitation during the wet season months of Sep-Oct could damage pond embankments, and reduce salinity too much if there is year-round production / Aquaculture:losses of shrimp, crab, and cockle are primarily driven by abnormal weather such as heat spikes that reduce productivity, or unusual rain during the dry period that reduces the salinity in ponds too much; community members also identified non-climate drivers of vulnerability, e.g., farmers not following best management practices or relying on past experiences too heavily; they also were concerned with water pollution
Rainfed rice: sea level rise causes saline water intrusion inland through canal systems in the dry season and increases flood severity in the rainy season. Rice suffers significant yield loss with salinity > 4%. Thuan Hoa Commune will exceed this threshold under climate change. Erosion of coastal areas and inundation of large areas will ultimately lead to significant land loss in the delta / Rainfed rice: in more inland areas of the commune, rice is grown alternatively with shrimp. Farmers extend the shrimp season for too long to maximize the higher earning potential with aquaculture and risk not having suitable time and conditions to grow their rice crop. Production area has decreased in the coastal zone; some rice varieties are not salt-tolerant

Online Resource 3. Ban Kouane and Ban Xong (Lao PDR): scientific assessment versus community perceptions of climate change vulnerability

Site Location / Science-based Projected Vulnerability / Community-perceived Vulnerability
Ban Kouane / Ban Xong
Khammouan Province
Lao PDR / Rainfed rice: average maximum temperatures during the growing season will consistently exceed 30°C in Khammouan in the midst of the growing season in July. In extreme years, these temperatures could exceed 40°C. Reductions in rice yield are expected. Increasing frequency of large storm events will increasingly damage rice fields from high winds and heavy rain, particularly during rice flowering and harvest periods / Rainfed rice: the predominant livelihood in the communities; irregular rainfall (i.e., a delay in the start of the rainy season and/or dry extended periods in the middle of the rainy season) is of primary concern. Some damage due to storms and flooding reported, but generally not a big concern
Livestock: cattle, buffalo, and pigs are the primary livestock systems (all smallholder). Increasing temperatures will affect their productivity and reproduction rates. Livestock are minimally cared for and malnourished, particularly at the end of the dry season. Increasing heat stress will exacerbate this problem. Flash floods may increase drowning of free-ranging cattle. Animals are not vaccinated and may become more susceptible to disease with increasing flooding / Livestock: four of the six communities reported largely no concern with climate impacts on livestock during initial phases of community workshops. The remaining two communities reported medium to high concern related to drought and flooding

Online Resource 4. Chey Commune (Cambodia): scientific assessment versus community perceptions of climate change vulnerability

Site Location / Science-based Projected Vulnerability / Community-perceived Vulnerability
Chey Commune
Kampong Thom Province
Cambodia / Rice paddy production: the average wet season daily maximum temperature will increase from 27.9°C to 30.3°C. This increase in average temperature in the rainy season could reduce rice growth and lower yields. Per station data in southeast Kampong Thom, during extreme years, wet season temperatures will exceed 35°C, above which rice production is known to decline significantly. This threshold was not crossed under the baseline period / Rice paddy production: the predominant subsistence livelihood in the commune. Drought at the start of the rainy season delays planting and can damage or destroy crops. If crops need replanting, farmers lose opportunities to work as labourers elsewhere for cash income. Also, higher temperatures decrease yields. Increasing floods, particularly at harvest time, can damage or destroy crops
Labour for cash income: this was not analysed through the science-based assessment / Labour for cash income: the primary source of income for the commune. Work opportunities include construction in Thailand, garment factories in Phnom Penh, and plantation work (cashew, cassava, rice) in surrounding provinces. During intense droughts, large farm owners do not plant and therefore have less need for labourers. Increasing temperatures reduce yields and the need for labour. During floods, there may be reduced need for labourers or the plantations may be difficult to access
Livestock: heat stress impacts fodder availability and reproduction rates, while flood events increase the spread of disease and herd loss. For smallholder pigs in particular, there is high temperature sensitivity reducing growth rates, reproduction, and immunity / Livestock: drought and rising temperatures put pressure on dwindling water supplies. Owners must travel farther to collect water. Lack of grassland for grazing and increasing disease are also issues. During floods, animals are moved either to houses, posing health risks, or higher ground located farther away posing security risks. Animals tend to be grouped together during floods in safer areas, which increases transmission of diseases and parasites

Online Resource 5. Huai Kang Pla Village (Thailand): scientific assessment versus community perceptions of climate change vulnerability

Site Location / Science-based Projected Vulnerability / Community-perceived Vulnerability
Huai Kang Pla Village
Chiang Rai Province
Thailand / Upland rice: vulnerable to increasing average temperatures during the growing season, as well as temperature spikes well above the impact threshold of 35°C (above which rice production is known to decline significantly) / Upland rice: the community identifies rice as highly vulnerable to “unusual rain”, i.e., delayed start to the rainy season, lack of rainfall during a long period of time during the rainy season, and heavy rainfall alternating with periods of no rain
Livestock: Chicken and pigs, which are a vital income source for women in Huai Kang Pla Village, are vulnerable to increasing temperatures affecting productivity and feed availability. In addition, more frequent large storm events and associated floodingwill heighten vulnerability to the spread of disease and loss of animals / Livestock: water scarcity at the end of the dry season is problematic for livestock production
NTFPs: currently threatened by the non-climate drivers of deforestation and habitat loss. These on-going pressures will be exacerbated by climate-related events such as heat spikes during flowering periods that reduce successful fertilization, and large storms and flooding / NTFPs: the community is concerned with increasing forest fires during the dry season affecting NTFP production, and floods affecting access for collection

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