HANOI, 22 May 2008 (IRIN) - When Hai Trai was growing up in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, his family eked out a living on collective farms under the socialist system. While the soil was rich, Trai's family, like most Vietnamese, lived in poverty.

Today, Trai, who is reaping the benefits of free market reforms and rapid economic development, owns 10 hectares of rice paddy in Dong Thap province and produces three crops a year, which he sells to the highest bidder. He has a house, a new motorcycle, sends his children to school and puts a little money in the bank. But as the country braces for a new typhoon season, Trai fears all he has worked for could be blown away.

Across Vietnam, farmers such as Trai are feeling the effects of climate change. The typhoon season is lasting longer and storms are stronger. Flooding last year killed nearly 500 people and submerged 215,000 hectares of agricultural land, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Low-lying fields have been inundated with salt water, destroying crops. Rising temperatures have even encouraged a plague of pests.

"The warm weather has favoured the growth of the brown plant hopper," said Trai, referring to the tiny insect that feasts on rice seedlings. "The pests have eaten up the plants and destroyed the crops."