DW in Viet Nam
Development Workshop began working in Viet Nam in 1989.
- DW’s first projects in Viet Nam (in collaboration with GRET *) were located in Binh Tri Thien province (subsequently divided into Thua Thien Hué, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces) for the demonstration of typhoon resistant building techniques (Funded by UNDP/UNCHS VIE/85/019 through to 1991).
- DW carried out post typhoon rehabilitation and preventive training in Thanh Hoa Province (UNDP/AIDAB - VIE/89/035).
- DW worked on rural development strategies and appropriate technology transfer in Vinh Phu and Ha Nam Ninh Provinces and in districts in Hanoi into 1993 (UNDP/UNCHS VIE/86/020).
The experience of these projects laid the basis for DW’s more recent work in Viet Nam.
The present project supported by ECHO has developed over the last six years in Central Viet Nam.
The pilot project supported by Canadian International Development
(CIDA) funded programme (1999-2001)
Between 1999 to 2001 DW provided assistance, animation and training to promote
preventive strengthening of houses and small local facilities in 10 communes
in Thua Thien Hué province. This showed that:
- Preventive strengthening of houses is viable. Families will invest time and money on strengthening in order to reduce their vulnerability and secure the family’s situation.
- Poorer families did not have access to cheap credit for strengthening. This caused hardship in some cases because they borrowed at high rates. Creating access to affordable credit has therefore become an important issue to help poorer families reduce their vulnerability and safeguard their investment.
- The animation activities in the communes and in the schools opened up community participation in the project activities and have helped to generate a genuine level of local appropriation of the project and its message.
- The establishment by DW of Commune Damage Prevention Committees has provided a specific local institutional ‘prevention‘ framework in which commune activities can be carried out.
Phase 2: Support from the Fondation Aide Viet Nam Canada (FAVC) and CIDA in 2002
Grants from the FAVC allowed DW and its commune partners in Thua Thien Hué Province to test the creation of family groups in hamlets to locally manage their house strengthening, and to provide the first credits for house strengthening (backed by a subsidy). The project continued awareness raising activities, training and institutional support in the communes and established better community participation and enhance community management. The credit programme, managed with the participation Women and Farmers’ Unions in the Commune Damage Prevention Committees. Families contribute at this stage at least 50% of strengthening costs whether in cash or credit.
Phase 3: Support from the Third Dipecho Action Plan for Southeast Asia in 2003 - 2004.
Based on the results of Phase 2, the 2003 - 2004 programme in Thua Thien Hué placed the family group and village of hamlet level firmly at the centre of the vulnerability reduction process, with participants and beneficiaries democratically selected by vote, and with representation on the Commune Damage Prevention Committees, who represent the commune implementation capacity for the programme. Work in schools with children extended to nurhcer greater expression and involvement by children expressing their views and concerns about disasters and preparedness.. Strengthening of existing houses and strengthening of schools and other public facilities continued, as did builder training.
* Groupe de Recherche et d’Echange Technologiques, Paris
