Under the support of the Government and organisations, farmers in South-Central Coast and Central Highlands address climate change issues. VNS Photos Cao Thị Huyền

KHÁNH HÒA — Climate change is no longer a distant threat for Việt Nam’s South-Central Coast and Central Highlands, where shifting weather patterns have pushed communities, government bodies and international organisations to rethink the future of farming, together.

Just a few years ago, Lâm Đồng Province was scarred by parched fields and cracked hillsides, while neighbouring Khánh Hòa endured erratic downpours that washed through rice paddies without warning.

Over the past decade, average rainfall in Khánh Hòa Province has dropped by more than 15 per cent, while the frequency of droughts has doubled — devastating yields, increasing input costs and cutting into the incomes of tens of thousands of farming households.

With nearly 65 per cent of the local workforce in these provinces relying on agriculture, climate instability is no longer just an environmental issue — it is a threat to food security, rural development and poverty reduction.

In response, the Government of Việt Nam — with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund — launched the Strengthening the Resilience of Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity (SACCR) project in May 2021.

Targeting the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Lâm Đồng and Khánh Hòa, the initiative aims to equip more than 50,000 smallholder farmers with both the tools and training needed to adapt.

Central to this strategy is the ‘farmer field school’ (FFS) model — a participatory, hands-on training approach that brings climate-smart practices straight into the field.

In Khánh Hòa, 30 smallholders recently gathered at Bô Minh Luyện’s farm for a session on soil regeneration. Rather than sitting through lectures, they worked alongside agronomists and extension workers, experimenting with composting and mulching on live crops. Most participants were women and ethnic minorities — many of whom were applying these techniques for the first time.

“We don’t just talk about techniques — we rebuild our soil together,” said agronomist Nguyễn Thị Nhung.

Between January and April this year, more than 70 such field sessions were held across Khánh Hòa, reaching over 1,500 farmers. Participants reported measurable improvements: reduced chemical use, better soil moisture and stronger, more resilient crops.

In Lâm Đồng, farmer Vương Thị Linh Chi led peer-learning sessions on her pepper and durian farm, which she intercropped to improve soil health and water retention.

“Before, we farmed by habit. Now, we follow the four-rights approach: right seed, right time, right method, right input,” she said.

As extreme weather becomes the new normal, local farmers — once overwhelmed by climate impacts — are becoming the architects of their own resilience.

Parched farmland, cracked hillsides and erratic rains by climate change are solved after farmers take lessons from field schools.

The method is replicable and rooted in local realities. Farmers are not passive recipients — they’re co-creators of climate solutions.

“Since 2021, we’ve supported farmers not just with inputs, but with practical knowledge. That makes all the difference,” said agricultural advisor Nguyễn Văn Đình.

In Đắk Lắk, 420 farmers, many from ethnic minority backgrounds, completed modules on crop planning and water use efficiency.

In Lâm Đồng, sessions on composting and organic dragon fruit farming have reached 730 households, including Nguyễn Thị Thu Hồng, who used mulch and biofertiliser to reduce input costs and improve crop health.

By mid-2025, SACCR has organised many workshops, including 36 water resource management classes, 71 FFS sessions on soil and biomass management and 17 credit and financial literacy sessions.

Deputy Director of SACCR in Khánh Hòa, Lương Kim Ngân, said although challenges remained, as some farmers couldn’t attend regularly due to family or work obligations, terrain was often mountainous and learning levels varied. But by keeping the sessions practical, things went right.

The strength of SACCR lies in its simplicity and scalability. Composting techniques, straw mulching, crop rotation and integrated farming can be applied by any household with basic training and local materials. Already, over 80,000 farmers across the five provinces have participated in or benefited from the project’s activities.

By 2026, the project aims to expand peer-learning networks and strengthen links with provincial extension services, so that more communities can adapt successfully.

This transformation is not only helping families cope with drought — it is helping them grow toward Việt Nam’s broader goals of climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and poverty reduction.

SACCR is also working with provincial extension services to embed climate-smart practices into long-term agricultural strategies. _ VNS