Current Development Projects

On December 26, 1996, the World Bank made a press release concerning a new 55 million dollar loan given to Vietnam for the soul purpose of upgrading rural infrastructure (http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/extme/1227.htm). Reportedly, most of the money is going to be used to upgrade rural access roads in fifteen of the countries poorest provinces. According to the press release, these roads will provide rural areas with better access to agricultural technology, efficient marketing opportunities, and other economic activities. Considering the trouble that farmers have getting their product to the market as I discussed earlier, this development project could be of great help to the rural Vietnamese population. If the project really does what it says it will do rural Vietnamese will be able to make higher profits on their rice production, which could raise their standards of living.

 

A second rural development and forest protection project began in 1997 .This project consisted of a 23 million dollar loan that would primarily be used for three main goals:

(http://www.tradeport.org/ts/countries/vietnam/mrr/mark0145.shtml)

1

To strengthen the management of the protected areas in the Chu Mom Ray Nature Reserve and Cat Tien National park.

2

To encourage management and use of existing natural resources in the buffer zone between rural communities and these parks.

3

Three, to strengthen the project management and institutional processes in the provincial and communal levels, of the surrounding park communities.

For the residents that live near these two national parks a multitude of possible improvements are made possible by this project.

A third project, intended to help potato farmers in Vietnam has been on line since 1991 (http://www.nivaa.nl/nivap/vietnam.htm). This project has been working on testing and giving communities advice on how to set up a long lasting seed potato supply and distribution. Since the project began there has been a 100% yield increase for the affected potato farmers. If this true, the success of potatoes may supplement a new staple for rural Vietnamese. This increase is also a sign of the good results that are possible as a result of the Doi Moi reforms.