Natural Disaster, Information Technology, and Agriculture Production in Vietnam: Evidence from Panel Data Analysis

Abstract

Agriculture is among the most susceptible industries to natural calamities. Technology is crucial to agricultural output. While agricultural machinery directly impacts agricultural output by increasing yield and quality, information technology may influence coping mechanisms for responding to natural disasters and so increase agricultural productivity. This paper examines (1) the degree to which agriculture production in Vietnam is impacted by natural disasters such as floods, drought, typhoons, and landslides, (2) how coping strategies mitigate the negative effects of natural disasters, and (3) how information technology influences the selection of coping strategies in response to a natural disaster. Our primary premise is that natural catastrophes have a detrimental influence on agricultural production and that coping mechanisms might somewhat mitigate these negative effects. In addition, information technology can facilitate the selection of coping measures for natural disasters.