Determinants of Climate Change Adaptive Behavior in Coastal Communities in Southeast Asia

This study sought to understand the determinants of autonomous adaptation of households in coastal communities in three countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam) as regards climate change. The study’s main innovation is its focus on households facing a confluence of related hazards, a context that is unique to coastal communities. The study tackled the interrelated hazards of coastal erosion, flooding, and saltwater intrusion, and used a multivariate probit model to analyze the determinants. Regression results show that households adapt or respond autonomously to a combination of hazards. In fact, the econometric model of joint decision cannot be rejected by the data. Geographical differences were observed in adaptation patterns, implying that households react rationally to the degree of threats from the hazards. Like in some literature, the study found evidence that planned adaptation may crowd out private or autonomous adaptation. Likewise, trust increases the likelihood of self-insurance and self-protection, especially against extreme events that are either recurring or permanent. Finally, the households’ adaptive capacity depends partly on the type of hazard and has a gender dimension. In recurrent extreme events, the abundance of male labor increases the likelihood of adaptation. In permanent and creeping hazards such