Research on the Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Workers in Vietnam

SLO – In the context of increasingly complex climate change, outdoor workers in Vietnamese cities are among the most vulnerable groups. Two recent research papers, published by the SocialLife Research Institute, have provided important scientific evidence on this issue. The first study is a policy brief based on field research with 400 workers, while the second focuses on a systematic review of research literature in Vietnam. Both studies emphasise the urgency of protecting the health and livelihoods of this labour group from the impacts of climate change.

1. Document: “The Impact of Climate Change on the Health of Outdoor Workers in Vietnamese Cities: A Preliminary Report” (Policy Brief – 29/10/2024)
This policy brief, published by the SocialLife Research Institute and authored by Nguyen L. D. and Vo T. T. A., presents findings from field research involving 400 outdoor workers and a review of Vietnamese literature on the impacts of climate change in urban Vietnam. The study identifies significant gaps in the existing literature, with only one-eighth of studies focusing on informal outdoor workers in urban areas.

The findings reveal that these workers are predominantly male migrants with unstable housing conditions, and more than 50% face high health risks due to heat exposure. Furthermore, their incomes are severely affected, with limited emergency savings. To address these challenges, the report proposes three key interventions: improving working conditions through mobile rest facilities and the provision of protective gear, enhancing health protection via mobile healthcare services and micro-insurance schemes, and supporting livelihoods through emergency funding and short-term vocational training programmes. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted policy measures to protect vulnerable outdoor workers in Vietnam’s urban areas from the increasing impacts of climate change.

To cite this summary, please use the following template:
Nguyen, L. D., & Vo, T. T. A. (2024). Climate change impact on outdoor workers’ health in urban Vietnam: Preliminary research findings (Policy Brief, October 29, 2024). SocialLife Research Institute. doi.org/10.71169/sociallife-pb-2024-1

Download the full document here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13qr3x4N9DzuOYQGg989T77r_WRkqgTuI/view?usp=drive_link

2. Document: “Health Impacts of Climate Change on Precarious Outdoor Workers in Urban Vietnam: A Systematic Review of Vietnamese-Language and Vietnam-Based Studies”
Climate change is posing increasingly serious challenges to countries worldwide, particularly developing nations, due to their lack of socio-economic resources for adaptation. When discussing climate change adaptation capacity, outdoor workers—those directly exposed to irregular weather phenomena in their daily work—are the most vulnerable group in terms of health.

This paper presents a systematic review of research literature in Vietnam related to the impact of climate change on the health of outdoor workers in Asian cities. By synthesising empirical evidence from Vietnam and comparing it with a parallel study based on English-language materials, the study aims to identify potential gaps in English-language literature regarding health impacts on vulnerable outdoor workers in Vietnam’s megacities.

Keywords: Climate change; Health impacts; Outdoor workers; Asian cities; Vietnam; Systematic review.

📥 Download the full document here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10eEuZcwPAMAfC-cwHsA_98HMaXAtx7SP/view?usp=drive_link

To cite this paper, please use the following template:
Nguyen, D. L., Vo, T. T. A., Vu, N. A., & Rigg, J. (2024). Health impacts of climate change on precarious outdoor workers in urban Vietnam: A systematic review of Vietnamese-language and Vietnam-based studies (SocialLife Research Institute, Working Paper No. 2024/1).https://doi.org/10.71169/sociallife-wp-2024-1