Vietnam's Hmong communities forced to adapt as climate crisis hits mountain villages

For centuries, the indigenous Hmong people have made their home in the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, sustaining their communities through farming on terraced rice paddies passed down through generations. Today, these same communities find themselves among the most exposed to the effects of the climate crisis.

Rising temperatures, increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns and more frequent landslides have become part of daily life in Hmong villages. The terraced fields that generations of farmers have carefully maintained are struggling to keep up with changing conditions, while deforestation is wiping out medicinal plants long relied upon by local communities.

Isolation compounds the challenge

The remote, mountainous location of Hmong villages adds another layer of difficulty. Long overlooked and marginalised, the Hmong receive little support from Vietnam's government. As the climate crisis intensifies, these communities have largely been left to cope on their own.

Scarce resources have already pushed some families to abandon their ancestral homes. Many relocate to cities, where they face the added struggle of preserving their cultural identity away from their traditional land.

Adapting rather than giving up

Despite the hardships, Hmong communities are not resigning themselves to the situation. With backing from Vietnamese NGOs, villagers are experimenting with new crops on their ancestral land — varieties better suited to withstand the effects of a changing climate.

The report was produced by FRANCE 24 journalists Théo Collet, Mélodie Sforza, Aruna Popuri and Constantin Simon.