Poverty Reduction

Developing local capacity to reduce vulnerability & poverty,
Central Viet Nam

Reducing vulnerability to natural calamities and poverty reduction are intimately linked issues in Central Viet Nam. Although great progress has been made since the introduction of Doi Moi and economic reform, far too many people still live on or below the poverty line. Comprehensive poverty reduction and growth are central goals in Viet Nam’s 2001 - 2010 development strategy.

Creating a stable and safe environment in which people can live and work is fundamental to the development of communities and the region.

“The number of people who need emergency relief every year due to natural calamities ranges from 1 to 1.2 million. On average, the number of households that fall below the poverty line again is large compared to the number of households that manage to escape from poverty. This is because a very large number of households live just above the poverty line and therefore are highly vulnerable to negative shocks such as natural disasters, job loss, sickness, and so on.
Analysis of the Household Living Standards Measurement Surveys in 1992/93 and 1997/98 indicate that households that suffer from frequent natural disasters are likely to fall into deep poverty. Consequently, efforts to identify effective measures to mitigate the consequences of natural calamities are an important component of poverty reduction.”
(Source: Viet Nam Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy)

Development Workshop undertakes actions in Central Viet Nam that help families, communities, community leaders and civil society reduce vulnerability to natural disasters and develop the opportunities and the environment that contribute to poverty reduction.

• Supporting institutional capacity to help the community and gender balance: DW works with the people’s committees, the unions and associations to strengthen the institutional capacity to develop action plans for vulnerability and poverty reduction and to be able to assist families. DW has promoted democracy in the village decision making process to ensure equitable selection of partner families and a balanced gender approach.
• Safer shelter: Since 1999 DW has implemented a programme for the preventive strengthening of existing houses in central Viet Nam. Roughly 70% of rural housing has been rebuilt by families since 1985, but the quality is poor and the result unable to resist the effects of storms and floods. DW helps families strengthen their existing home, at an average extra cost of 20% of the total value of their house. DW subsidises this up to 50%, the remaining costs are covered by family contributions.
• Credit for safe and affordable houses: Since 2001 DW has introduced a small programme providing families with credit for house strengthening, repaid over 18 months. Families show they are keen to take this opportunity and are good at repayments. They recognise the social and economic value of a resistant safe home and the contribution it makes to family stability and growth.
• Access to safe schools and infrastructure: DW partners with communes in Thua Thien Hué to strengthen existing public infrastructure and build safe new schools, markets, health facilities. At village level, providing kindergartens helps small children access early education. DW works with schools to train teachers about disaster prevention, and runs workshops with children about their concerns. Children are active in school and in the community in promoting the vulnerability reduction message.
• Developing skills: DW provides training to local building brigades in all the commune where it works, in order to improve the general quality of building and in order to develop skills in disaster resistant construction. Trained builders both work on local construction programmes that brings in revenue, and act as building advisers to families in the community.
• Developing production opportunities: DW works with local construction materials producers to make components that can be used in making safer and affordable housing and infrastructure. New products such as tiles with fixing systems are piloted in public buildings.

In all its actions, DW places an emphasis on communication, exchange and education based on active community participation. Animation activities in the communes encourage participation and the involvement of families.

National Poverty Reduction Strategy [1.2MB]