Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
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Participa<strong>to</strong>ry poverty moni<strong>to</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> rural communities <strong>in</strong> <strong>Viet</strong> <strong>Nam</strong><br />
78<br />
In some places, market fac<strong>to</strong>rs have eroded social capital. In lowland communes<br />
the use of services and mechanization has reduced the practice of labour exchange.<br />
Well-off households who have more land tend <strong>to</strong> hire labour and mechanization services.<br />
In places where people work away from home, the effective operation of local groups<br />
is a major challenge. The attendance of wedd<strong>in</strong>gs, death anniversaries, grand birthdays,<br />
and regular birthdays now requires “gift money”, a heavy burden for poor households.<br />
Land acreage and quality is an important poverty dimension. Population growth<br />
and chang<strong>in</strong>g land use is putt<strong>in</strong>g pressure on available land <strong>in</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>ous ethnic<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ority areas. New households, or households that lack labour tend <strong>to</strong> own the poorest<br />
quality land as fertile land and land close <strong>to</strong> water sources are already occupied. In<br />
lowland areas the re-division of land <strong>in</strong> the early 1990s means land rema<strong>in</strong>s evenly<br />
distributed. However, those born s<strong>in</strong>ce the 1990s, or women from outside the prov<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
newly married <strong>to</strong> local men do not have access <strong>to</strong> productive land.<br />
Programme 30a aims <strong>to</strong> grant the poor access <strong>to</strong> productive and forest land. However,<br />
its impact has been limited as there is little available fertile land that can be reclaimed, a<br />
lack of fund<strong>in</strong>g for grant<strong>in</strong>g of land use right certificates and for document<strong>in</strong>g contracted<br />
land and protected forest.<br />
Natural resources, important <strong>to</strong> ethnic m<strong>in</strong>orities, are <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly scarce. Ethnic<br />
m<strong>in</strong>orities <strong>in</strong> remote areas rely on natural resources such as rattan, bamboo, bamboo<br />
shoots, leaves, forest vegetables, fish, and wild animals for domestic consumption and<br />
sale. Shr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g forests and <strong>in</strong>creased forest protection means hunt<strong>in</strong>g and gather<strong>in</strong>g are<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly restricted.<br />
Concessional credit policies have improved access <strong>to</strong> capital. In 2009 the average<br />
loan was 12 million VND. In 2011 it was 15 million VND (Table 2.15).<br />
TABLE 2.15. Bank loans and purchase on credit, 2009-2011<br />
Commune<br />
Percent of HHs<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
bank loans (%)<br />
Average bank<br />
loans (million VND)<br />
Percent of HHs<br />
purchas<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
credit from<br />
shops/agents (%)<br />
2009 2011 2009 2011 2009 2011<br />
Thuan Hoa 56 43 8 11 13 8<br />
Ban Lien 68 63 9 13 12 22<br />
Thanh Xuong 52 35 9 17 43 20<br />
Luong M<strong>in</strong>h 80 90 8 10 42 58<br />
Duc Huong 73 71 20 29 60 56<br />
Xy 35 35 12 8 48 45<br />
Cu Hue 43 41 18 18 55 62<br />
Phuoc Dai 50 52 12 13 42 49<br />
Phuoc Thanh 58 55 12 13 65 68<br />
Thuan Hoa 63 68 10 13 37 50<br />
Average 58 55 12 15 42 44<br />
SOURCE: Household <strong>in</strong>terviews