Climate change and human health in Vietnam: a systematic review and additional analyses on current impacts, future risk, and adaptation

Abstract

This study aims to investigate climate change's impact on health and adaptation in Vietnam through a systematic review and additional analyses of heat exposure, heat vulnerability, awareness and engagement, and projected health costs. Out of 127 reviewed studies, findings indicated the wider spread of infectious diseases, and increased mortality and hospitalisation risks associated with extreme heat, droughts, and floods. However, there are few studies addressing health cost, awareness, engagement, adaptation, and policy. Additional analyses showed rising heatwave exposure across Vietnam and global above-average vulnerability to heat. By 2050, climate change is projected to cost up to USD1-3B in healthcare costs, USD3-20B in premature deaths, and USD6-23B in work loss. Despite increased media focus on climate and health, a gap between public and government publications highlighted the need for more governmental engagement. Vietnam's climate policies have faced implementation challenges, including top-down approaches, lack of cooperation, low adaptive capacity, and limited resources.

Keywords: Adaptation; Climate change; Health impacts; Systematic review; Vietnam.

Fig. 1

Flowchart of assessment of eligible articles.

Fig. 2

Distribution of studies on climate change and health in Vietnam by regions, years, and topics (n = 127).

Fig. 3

A–Exposure of populations to heatwaves (person-days) across 8 ecological regions of Vietnam, 2001–2020. B–Heat exposure vulnerability index for the Vietnamese population, 1990–2018.

Fig. 4

Frequency of media coverage on climate change and health covered in public media in Vietnam.