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Volume 7, number 27 (2015 August 28)

Agriculture and rural development

• Are Younger Women Left on the Farms in Vietnam?
• Framing the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Post 2015: Promoting Rural Development, Employment, and Inclusive Growth in ASEAN.
• How does the Fruit and Vegetable Sector contribute to Food and Nutrition Security?
• My boat my identity: Investment in tuna fishing in Viet Nam.

Economic development

• Implementing Clusters for Economic Development in Emerging Economies: The Case of Luong Bamboo Sector in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.
• Key Determinants of SMEs in Vietnam. Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Studies.
• Services Productivity and Trade Openness: Case of ASEAN.
• Big Data Era: Big Challenges for ASEAN Economic Community [Conference paper].
• Trust, Respect, and Reciprocity: Informing Culturally Appropriate Data-Sharing Practice in Vietnam.

Environment

• Potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Associated with Municipal Solid Waste Management in Hanoi City, Vietnam.
• Analysis of spatial and temporal changes of wetland ecosystems in Xuan Thuy National Park (Nam Dinh province) based on techniques of remote sensing and GIS.
• Ecological status of coral communities in the island area of the Nha Trang Bay (Vietnam).
• Distribution, accumulation profile, and risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediment from lake and river systems in Hanoi Metropolitan Area, Vietnam.
• Groundwater screening for 940 organic micro-pollutants in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Health and nutrition

• Exploring the influence of context in a community-based facilitation intervention focusing on neonatal health and survival in Vietnam: a qualitative study.
• Health system context and implementation of evidence-based practices-development and validation of the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool for low- and middle-income settings.
• The INDEPTH Data Repository: An International Resource for Longitudinal Population and Health Data From Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems.
  Sharing Public Health Research Data: Toward the Development of Ethical Data-Sharing Practice in Low- and Middle-Income Settings.
• The Global Surgery Partnership: An Innovative Partnership for Education, Research, and Service.
• Harmful practices in the management of childhood diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.
• Moving towards universal health coverage: lessons from 11 country studies.
• Selection of depression measures for use among Vietnamese populations in primary care settings: a scoping review.
• Malnutrition Expectations and Precautionary Demand for Children: Evidence from Vietnam.

Social development

• The Process of Reporting and Receiving Support Following Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence During Childhood
• Living Arrangements and Psychological Well-Being of the Older Adults After the Economic Transition in Vietnam.
• Assessment of Vietnam’s National Mine Action Program.
• Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Quang Binh, Vietnam.
• Does migration make financial sense? The case of domestic workers from Vietnam to Taiwan.
• Environmental Stressors and Migration: Evidence from Vietnam.
• Critical cartography 2.0: From “participatory mapping” to authored visualizations of power and people.

Tourism

• Community-Based Tourism and Development in the Periphery/Semi-periphery Interface: A Case Study from Viet Nam.

Water

• Fresh Water Struggle in Two Vietnam Regions.

Details in this PDF File >>

Agriculture and rural development

Agriculture in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Mary E. Burfisher, John Dyck, Birgit Meade, Lorraine Mitchell, John Wainio and others. USDA Economic Research Report No. ERR-176, 2014.

Abstract: The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade and investment agreement under negotiation by 12 countries in the Pacific Rim, including the United States. This report assesses the potential impacts of eliminating all agricultural and nonagricultural tariffs and tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) under a TPP agreement on the region’s agriculture in 2025—the assumed end date of the pact’s implementation—compared with baseline values for 2025 without a TPP. Cutting tariffs is only one of the many goals of the TPP negotiations, but it is an important one for agricultural trade. The value of intraregional agricultural trade in 2025 under a tarifffree, TRQ-free scenario is estimated to be 6 percent, or about $8.5 billion higher (in 2007 U.S. dollars) compared with baseline values. U.S. agricultural exports to the region will be 5 percent, or about $3 billion higher, and U.S. agricultural imports from the region in 2025 will be 2 percent, or $1 billion higher in value compared with the baseline. Agricultural output in the United States will increase in most sectors due to increased market access within the TPP region, especially in cereals (1 percent), dairy products (0.5 percent), and meat (0.4 percent). Among TPP members, the largest percentage gains in agricultural output will be in meats in Australia, dairy in New Zealand, and “other agriculture” in Singapore. Agricultural output quantities will decline in most sectors in Japan and Vietnam in 2025 relative to the baseline.  Free full text http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err176.aspx.

Gender analysis of households’ decision-making to reduce post-harvest losses of cassava in Ghana, Nigeria, and Vietnam.
P.B. Abdulsalam-Saghir, Ben Bennett, W. Quaye, Viet Phu Tu, L.O. Sanni and others. Food chain, 2015, volume 5, number 1-2.

Abstract: This study analysed gender dimensions of decision-making at the household level in cassava enterprise in Ghana, Nigeria, and Vietnam in the context of risks and benefits to food security to ensure value addition to reduce post-harvest losses from cassava. Rapid participatory rural appraisal was used to select a total of 501 households in the countries chosen for this study. Focus and group discussions (F and GD) and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Data were analysed descriptively. Twenty cassava-based activities linked to gender activities in cassava processing households in the selected countries were identified. In all three countries, final decisions to allocate and use resources were taken by men – although women are commonly responsible for post-harvest management. Ownership of production and processing assets is positively skewed to men across the sample with women having rights of use only. Household decision-making objectives for generating peels and attitudes towards cassava peels vary by country and by lineage/descent, largely influenced by culture, level of education, religion, formal employment opportunities, and income levels. Household cassava peels utilization has low value and is therefore not a focus of male interest in Ghana and Nigeria but if value is added, this dynamic may change. This was different in Vietnam where peels are processed generationally for additional household income. This study proposes the design of empowerment/development strategies such as group dynamics and skill acquisition to increase women’s bargaining and decision-making capacities and reduce male/elite capture of interventions.

Impact of certification system on smallhold coffee farms’ income distribution in Vietnam.
Thi Minh Chi Nguyen, Li-Hsien Chien and Shwu-En Chen. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2015, volume 5, number 6, pp. 137-149.

Abstract: This study attempts to investigate the impact of the working certification programs on the income of the coffee farms operated by the local smallholders at Dakha District, Kontum, Vietnam. Followed by the comparisons of the socio-demographic and economic characteristics between certified and non-certified farmers, the study adopts the Binary Probit model and linear regression model were applied to analyze the decision on farmers’ attitude for participation on the available certification programs and their impacts. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to examine the average treatment effect of certification program on net coffee income per hectare to reduce the selection bias. Statistical results show that net coffee income per hectare is positively influenced by certification participation. Furthermore, education status the household head, number of members involved in coffee cultivation, distance from household to town center, and training availability effect significantly on net coffee income. Moreover, four matching algorithms of PSM highlighted that members of the certified cooperative achieve higher net coffee income per hectare compared to non-certified ones. Finally, how to introduce an organizational framework to assist local smallhold farmers and local coffee cooperatives become more effective and influential in domestic coffee value chain are suggested. Free full text http://www.aessweb.com/journals/June2015/5005/3202.

Impacts of Exchange Rate Volatility and FDI on Technical Efficiency—A Case Study of Vietnamese Agricultural Sector.
Nguyen Khac Minh, Pham Van Khanh and Nguyen Viet Hung. American Journal of Operations Research, 2015, volume 5, pp. 317-325.

Abstract: The objective of this research is to examine impacts of exchange rate volatility and FDI on efficiency of the Vietnamese agricultural sector at the provincial level for the period 1998-2011. Due to the characteristic of high uncertainty in agricultural production, the chance-constrained programming model would be used to estimate efficiency of the agricultural production sector. In order to study impacts of exchange rate volatility and FDI, we employ the two-stage model. In the first stage, we use the chance-constrained programming model to measure technical efficiency and ARIMA model to quantify exchange rate volatility. In the second stage, we use the fixed effect model to evaluate impacts of exchange rate volatility and FDI on efficiency of agricultural production in poor and rich provinces. The estimated results show that fluctuation in exchange rate volatility would reduce efficiency in agricultural production but FDI has an insignificant impact on the efficient production in Vietnam agricultural sector. Free full text http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajor.2015.54025.

Government support and profitability effects – Vietnamese offshore fisheries.
Nguyen Ngoc Duy, Ola Flaaten and Le Kim Long. Marine Policy, 2015, volume 61, pp. 77-86.

Abstract: Bioeconomic theory and empirical evidence have demonstrated that open-access fisheries tend to break even and also that intra-marginal rent may be generated in heterogeneous fleets. Theoretically, input and output subsidies are expected to increase profit in the short term, but not in the long term. Vietnamese government subsidies of offshore fishing vessels are investigated and quantified, and their profitability effects are examined, through representative surveys of costs and earnings data. The subsidy schemes had positive effects on vessel profitability, with the quasi-lump sum fuel cost support having the greatest effect. The largest vessels received relatively more support than the smaller ones and earned most of the super-profit as well as the intra-marginal rent generated. However, higher subsidies for larger vessels did not help all of them achieve higher economic performance. The subsidisation programmes may come from infant industry arguments, the strategic rent-shifting incentives of neighbouring countries, social and geopolitical objectives, and because of South China Sea border security reasons. [sci].

Vietnam’s seafood boom: Economic growth with impoverishment?
Melissa Marschke and Gordon Betcherman. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2015, pp. 1-22.

Abstract: By 2050 most seafood will be sourced through aquaculture, with a range of production intensities being required to sustain livelihoods and to meet future needs from seafood. This makes Vietnam a particularly insightful case, since Vietnam is at the forefront of the trend toward greater aquaculture production. Our aim in this paper is to examine the social-ecological sustainability of small producer livelihoods contributing to Vietnam’s seafood boom. This paper uses original survey data to understand the range of fishery-based livelihoods that have contributed to Vietnam being a leading global exporter of seafood. We investigate the kinds of fishery-based livelihood activities that households are engaged in, consider the type and amount (kilograms) of species caught or farmed annually, and examine household perceptions’ of change in species quantity. We find that Vietnam’s seafood sector is facing real sustainability challenges: Nearly 30 % of small producers—fishers and fish farmers—within our sample rest at or below Vietnam’s rural poverty line. Ecological decline and disease in farmed fish is perceived to be a serious issue for all fishers. In this context, policy and management interventions need to better reflect social and ecological variability, adopt an integrated coastal systems perspective across fisheries and aquaculture, and consider the most impact-effective poverty interventions. [spr]. Free full text http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10668-015-9692-4.

An Analysis of Factors Influencing Rice Export in Vietnam Based on Gravity Model.
ThiHongHanh Bui and Qiting Chen. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2015, pp. 1-15.

Abstract: Vietnam is known as one of the biggest rice exporters in the world. Rice from Vietnam is available in more than 120 countries and territories in all continents in the world. Vietnam’s exported rice increases quickly in terms of quantities, but its export value is not high and increases slowly. Also, it does not ensure the benefits and incomes for the rice farmers. This makes the rice export of Vietnam not effective, unsustainable, and unstable. In order to describe the processes involved in factors influencing rice export in Vietnam, the present study has used the gravity model with research time from 2004 to 2013. According to hypothesis raised in the chapter, results have revealed that the biggest impacts on Vietnam rice export are gross domestic product (GDP), price, population, and exchange rate. [spr].

Technical Efficiency and Productivity of Maize Producers in the Mekong Delta.
Vo Van Dut. International Journal of Agricultural Economics and Management, 2015, volume 4, number 1, pp. 35-45.

Abstract: This study investigates the possibilities of productivity gains and the technical efficiency of maize farmers in the Mekong Delta (MD), Viet Nam. Using the stochastic production frontier measures such technical efficiency and productivity. The study using the survey data in the two provinces locating in the MD reveals that there was a wide range of variation in technical inefficiency. The latter mainly stems from experience and training participation of maize farmers. The study suggests that there is an opportunity to increase the technical efficiency level of the maize crop in the MD by enhancing the technical guidance of new technologies in maize production through launching several trainings to farmers. Free full text https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vo_Dut/publication/280232792_Technical_Efficiency_and_Productivity_of_Maize_Producers_in_the_Mekong_Delta/links/55ae3cbe08aee079921fff60.pdf.

Economic development

Price-level instability and international monetary policy coordination.
Hong Thang Nguyen. The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, 2015, volume 15, number 1, pp. 309-337.

Abstract: In a two-country open economy model, Bencivenga, Huybens, and Smith [2002, What to Stabilize in the Open Economy, International Economic Review 43, 1289–1307] investigate three policy regimes and find that a fixed exchange rate regime, where the country with the lowest reserve-to-deposit ratio is charged with maintaining the fixed rate, and a price-level targeting regime are both more prone to price-level instability than a constant money growth rate regime. This paper, by replacing their “helicopter drops” assumption with an open market operations assumption, shows that the two rules of fixing the money growth rate and targeting the time path of the price level work equally well. Additionally, under a regime of fixed exchange rates, it does not matter which country is charged with keeping the fixed exchange rate.

Changing Political Economy of Vietnam: The Case of Ho Chi Minh City.
Martin Gainsborough. Routledge, 2015.

Abstract: This book explores the way in which the state has become commercialised under reform as party and government officials have gone into business and considers the impact that this has had on politics within Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The book charts the way in which power has been decentralised to the lower levels of the party-state but argues that the central state retains significant power. These issues are explored through a variety of case studies including the implementation of different reform policies, struggles over political and business activity, and the prosecution of two major corruption cases. Particular emphasis is placed on piecing together the myriad of informal practices which dominate business and political life in Vietnam.

Fiscal incentives and enterprise performance: Evidence from the UNIDO Viet Nam Industry Investor Survey 2011.
UNIDO and MPI, 2015.

Abstract: The Working Paper “Fiscal incentives and enterprise performance: Evidence from the UNIDO Viet Nam Industry Investor Survey 2011” attempts to shed light on wether fiscal incentives support private direct investment in Viet Nam. [UNIDO-FIA-2015-eng]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/en/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/410-unido-fia-working-paper-fiscal-incentives-and-enterprise-performance.html.

Overseas factories, domestic employment, and technological hollowing out: a case study of Samsung’s mobile phone business.
Keun Lee and Moosup Jung. Review of World Economics, 2015, volume 151, number 3, pp. 461-475.

Abstract: Analysing the case of Samsung Electronics’ mobile phone business, this paper examines the effects of establishing factories abroad on domestic jobs and the issue of technological hollowing out. The offshoring of mobile phone assembly to China, India, Brazil and Vietnam did not result in a reduction of domestic jobs. On the contrary, Samsung’s domestic employment increased from 5960 persons in 2002 to 20,500 in 2012. This increase mainly reflects a net increase in high-paying jobs (R&D, engineering, design, marketing) while the number of low-paying jobs (assembly) remained stagnant. To cope with possible technological hollowing out, Samsung kept its core engineers/technicians in a special unit, instead of firing them, whenever domestic assembly lines were reduced or foreign lines were established. They were kept inside the so-called ‘global manufacturing technology center,’ with the number of its employees increasing from 80 in 2006 to more than 1103 in 2011. These employees visit overseas factories to conduct activities such as maintenance, monitoring, re-modeling of assembly lines, and automation. In terms of strategy, Samsung engages in offshoring, but not outsourcing. This is in contrast to Apple which does both offshoring and outsourcing by contracting with Foxconn.

Education

Out-of-school Children in Viet Nam: A country study.
UNICEF, 2015.

Abstract: The report looks at the situation of out-of-school children between the ages of five and 14 years old including children who had never attended school or who had dropped out and children who attended five years of preschool, primary and lower secondary school and were at risk of dropping out, meaning children who were at risk of becoming out-of-school children (OOSC) in the future. It analyzes barriers and bottlenecks that restrict children’s schooling opportunities and proposes recommendations to reduce the number of OOSCs and ensure equity in education and the right to education for all Vietnamese children. The report provides a national analysis with in-depth OOSC profiles for eight provinces: Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Thap and An Giang. [OOSC-Eng]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/en/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/448-out-of-school-children-in-viet-nam.html.

Readiness for education of children with disabilities in eight provinces of Viet Nam 2015.
UNICEF Viet Nam, 2015.

Abstract: In 2014, UNICEF has supported MOET in implementing a study on the readiness for education of children with disabilities in eight UNICEF supported provinces in Viet Nam with field visits to three provinces including Dien Bien, Ninh Thuan and Kon Tum. The study aims to examine the readiness of schools and community to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities and readiness of these children to go to school. In order to carry out the study, a consultancy team from International Center for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) of Toronto University, Canada has been contracted by UNICEF for the period from 1st November 2013 to 30th August 2014. –

Findings from the study highlight a number of notable policies and practices that point to a favorable foundation on which to build and strengthen an education sector to support inclusive education and access for boys and girls with disabilities. The study indicates that the Government of Viet Nam has made significant progress in support for education over the past 25 years and it is anticipated that Viet Nam will achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with regard to Education by 2015. However, more effort is needed to bring the benefits associated with the attainment of the MDGs to children who remain excluded from education and whose right to education has not yet been realized, such as children with disabilities and those from ethnic minority groups. The main barriers to these children’s access to education lies both in lack of accessibility of education and limited quality education for these children. –

Key recommendations have been made to improve policies related to improvement of equity in access to education and quality of education for children with disabilities as well as to raise awareness of right holders and duty bearers on existing policies. Of particular, recommendations are made for MOET and provinces to expedite the provision of quality education to children with disabilities through the improvement of the data and information system to enable provinces to collect, update and use the data on children with disabilities for better education sector planning, M&E and more effective teacher recruitment, deployment and teacher training. [Readiness-eduForDisabilities-Eng]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/en/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/447-readiness-for-education-of-children-with-disabilities-in-eight-provinces-of-viet-nam-2015.html.

Sự sẵn sàng cho giáo dục trẻ khuyết tật: Nghiên cứu tại 8 tỉnh ở Việt Nam.
UNICEF Viet Nam, 2015.

Abstract: Vào năm 2014, Quỹ Nhi đồng Liên hợp quốc tại Việt Nam đã hỗ trợ Bộ Giáo dục và đào tạo tiến hành nghiên cứu về sự sẵn sàng trong giáo dục cho trẻ khuyết tật tại tám trên tổng số 63 tỉnh, thành phố của Việt Nam. Trong số đó đoàn đã đi thực địa 3/8 tỉnh gồm Điện Biên, Ninh Thuận và Kon Tum. Nghiên cứu này nhằm mục đích tìm hiểu mức độ sẵn sàng của hệ thống giáo dục và của cộng đồng trong việc cung cấp giáo dục hòa nhập cho trẻ khuyết tật cũng như sự sẵn sàng của bản thân trẻ trong việc đi học. UNICEF đã hợp đồng với một nhóm các chuyên gia của Trường đại học Toronto, Canada để cùng phối hợp thực hiện nghiên cứu.

Các phát hiện từ nghiên cứu này đã nêu bật những điểm mấu chốt trong chính sách và thực hành giáo dục nhằm mở rộng cơ hội tiếp cận và nâng cao chất lượng giáo dục hòa nhập cho các bé trai và bé gái khuyết tật. Nghiên cứu chỉ ra rằng Chính phủ Việt Nam đã đạt được nhiều thành tựu trong giáo dục suốt hơn 25 năm qua và chắc chắn sẽ đạt các mục tiêu Phát triển thiên niên kỷ liên quan đến giáo dục vào năm 2015. Tuy nhiên, vẫn cần nỗ lực nhiều hơn nữa trong tiến trình thực hiện mục tiêu Phát triển thiên niên kỷ liên quan đến những nhóm trẻ hiện còn đang gặp nhiều rào cản trong tiếp cận giáo dục như trẻ khuyết tật, trẻ em dân tộc thiểu số. Rào cản trong tiếp cận giáo dục đối với nhóm trẻ này bao gồm cả việc tiếp cận về mặt thể chất tới cơ sở vật chất trường học cũng như chất lượng, nội dung chương trình hiện hành.

Nghiên cứu đã đưa ra các khuyến nghị chú trọng vào việc thi hành các chính sách hiện hành nhằm cải thiện công bằng trong tiếp cận giáo dục cũng như nâng cao chất lượng giáo dục hòa nhập cho trẻ khuyết tật đồng thời nâng cao nhận thức của các cơ quan chỉ đạo và phía các đơn vị, các cá nhân cung cấp dịch vụ giáo dục cũng như nhận thức của chính người khuyết tật về các chính sách dành cho họ. Đặc biệt các khuyến nghị nhấn mạnh việc. Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo và các Sở GD&ĐT song song với đổi mới quản lý dữ liệu, thông tin làm bằng chứng cho lập kế hoạch, theo dõi, giám sát chất lượng giáo dục cho trẻ khuyết tật sẽ chú trọng hơn tới việc đào tạo, tuyển dụng và phân bố giáo viên làm việc với những nhóm trẻ này.. [Readiness-eduForDisabilities-Vie]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/vi/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/447-readiness-for-education-of-children-with-disabilities-in-eight-provinces-of-viet-nam-2015.html.

Environment

Coastal Sea Water Quality of Nha Trang Bay, Khanh Hoa, Viet Nam.
Vo Tran Tuan Linh, Duong Trong Kiem, Pham Hong Ngoc, Le Hung Phu, Pham Huu Tam and others. Journal of Shipping and Ocean Engineering, 2015, volume 5, pp. 123-130.

Abstract: Nha Trang Bay is famous not only because of its beauty, but also of the biodiversity values, especially coral reefs. Thus, the sea water quality monitoring systems are necessary for effective and available managements to protect the ecosystems and for sustainable development. There have been several monitoring systems here but they have been done separately and unconnectedly. This research was done to take an overview and access the status and changes of water quality from 2007-2014. The data obtained rainy seasons over the years showed a quite good environment here. The environment changes were also monitored and there were some changes between seasons and over years, decreasing, increasing, or unobvious trends. However, the difference was not so much; and there was not the sign of environmental degradation in the bay from 2007 to 2014. Besides, the stoichiometric nutrients limitations were initially assessed. Since Si ratios here were always higher compared to N and P, there was not increased potential for non-diatom algal blooms. Together with the recorded nutrients concentration data, it can be said that there was no evidence of eutrophication in the bay. Although there was partial contamination of some parameters at few moments, the sea water quality of Nha Trang bay was still in a good condition (according to Vietnamese and ASEAN criteria). Free full text http://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/55a479f5c2d08.pdf.

Effect of Land Use Change on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Da River Basin of Hoa Binh province, Northwest Vietnam.
NGO Thanh Son, NGUYEN Duy Binh and Rajendra Prasad SHRESTHA. Journal of Mountain Science, 2015, volume 12, number 4, pp. 1051-1064.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess runoff discharge and sediment yield from Da River Basin in the Northwest of Vietnam using Soil and Water Assessment Tools (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using the observed monthly stream flows and sediment yield at selected gauging stations. The results indicated that SWAT generally performs well in simulating runoff and sediment yield according to Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Observation’s standard deviation ratio (RSR), and percent bias (PBIAS) values. For runoff, the values of NSE, RSR, and PBIAS were 0.98, 0.02, and 3.69 during calibration period and 0.99, 0.01, and 1.56 during validation period, respectively. For sediment yield, the efficiency was lower than the value of NSE, RSR, and PBIAS during calibration period were 0.81, 0.19, and -4.14 and 0.84, 0.16, and -2.56 during validation period, respectively. The results of the study indicated that the vegetation status has a significant impact on runoff and sediment yield. Changes in land use type between 1995 and 2005 from forest to field crop and urban strongly contributed to increasing the average annual runoff from 182.5 to 342.7 mm and sediment yield from 101.3 to 148.1 ton-1 ha. Between 2005 and 2010, a decrease of both runoff (from 342.7 to 167.6 mm) and sediment yield (from 148.1 to 74.0 ton-1 ha) was due to the expansion of forested area and application of soil conservation practices. The results of this study are important for developing soil and water conservation programs, extending future SWAT modelling studies and disseminating these results to other regions in Vietnam. Free full text http://ir.imde.ac.cn/handle/131551/10648.

Environment and management implications: a study of Vietnam.
Durriya H. Z. Khairullah and Kathleen M. Premo. Business Studies Journal, 2015, volume 7, number 1, pp. 1-13.

Abstract: The paper discusses several environmental factors and management implications using the five different cultural dimensions of Hofstede and Hofstede and Bond as applied to the various management practices in Vietnam. The report is based upon discussions and information provided by senior management of various businesses, U.S. officials, and faculty members from universities operating in Vietnam. In addition, the paper reviews and reinforces earlier scholarly research about management practices in Vietnam. The findings of this study together with those of previous studies could provide relevant information to managers who plan to conduct business in Vietnam. [ebsco].

Assessment of Vulnerabilities to Climate Change for Urban Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Management: Case Study in Dong Nai River Basin, Vietnam.
Lam Vu Thanh Noi and Vilas Nitivattananon. Environmental Development, 2015.

Abstract: Climate change (CC) is likely to have negative impacts in many regions of Southeast Asia including Vietnam. Increased understanding of Vulnerability Assessment (VA) methods and their applications are gaining much more interest. However, there is a shortage of practical CC risk and VA tools and techniques in the context of urbanization particularly for Water and Wastewater (W&WW) infrastructure management. In addition, W&WW infrastructure management is a complex issue with a limited knowledge of how to incorporate CC issues into local plans, thus bringing more difficulties in developing good adaptation measures and strategies. Therefore this paper describes results and experiences of applying various assessment tools and techniques for assessment of CC vulnerabilities of urban W&WW infrastructure management. Improved understanding of CC risk assessment in Dong Nai river basin, Vietnam is presented. Our research findings provide an adaptive supportive platform for conducting VA for urban W&WW infrastructure at the local level through an integrated assessment approach, through applying selected assessment tools and techniques, including Bayesian Networks, Multiple Criteria Analysis, Impact Matrix, Problem Tree Analysis and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). This work presents an integrated approach of applying a suite of tools and techniques for facilitating implementation of CCVA at the local level. Importantly, PRA is a critical technique that provides input data for other tools and techniques used in the assessment process, especially for investigating local vulnerabilities and adaptation measures. Further studies are recommended to develop appropriate assessment tools which would support the application of CCVA process at the community level. [sci].

Regional climate simulations over Vietnam using the WRF model.
S. V. Raghavan, M. T. Vu and S. Y. Liong. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 2015, pp. 1-22.

Abstract: We present an analysis of the present-day (1961–1990) regional climate simulations over Vietnam. The regional climate model Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) was driven by the global reanalysis ERA40. The performance of the regional climate model in simulating the observed climate is evaluated with a main focus on precipitation and temperature. The regional climate model was able to reproduce the observed spatial patterns of the climate, although with some biases. The model also performed better in reproducing the extreme precipitation and the interannual variability. Overall, the WRF model was able to simulate the main regional signatures of climate variables, seasonal cycles, and frequency distributions. This study is an evaluation of the present-day climate simulations of a regional climate model at a resolution of 25 km. Given that dynamical downscaling has become common for studying climate change and its impacts, the study highlights that much more improvements in modeling might be necessary to yield realistic simulations of climate at high resolutions before they can be used for impact studies at a local scale. The need for a dense network of observations is also realized as observations at high resolutions are needed when it comes to evaluations and validations of models at sub-regional and local scales. [spr].

Sustainable Ho Chi Minh City – Climate Policies for Emerging Megacities.
Antje Katzschner, Dirk Schwede, Michael Waibel, Lutz Katzschner, Michael Schmidt and others. Springer, 2015.

Abstract: As climate change and urban development are closely interlinked and often interact negatively, this edited volume takes Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam’s first mega-urban region as a case study to analyse its vulnerability to climate change and to suggest measures towards a more sustainable urban development. The book offers an overview on land use planning regarding the aspects of urban flooding, urban climate, urban energy and urban mobility as well as spatial views from the angle of urban planning such as the metropolitan level, the city, the neighbourhood and building level. It shows that to a significant degree, measures dealing with climate change can be taken from the toolbox of sustainable urban development and reflects how institutional structures need to change to enhance chances for implementation given socio-cultural and economic constraints. This is merged and integrated into a holistic perspective of planning recommendations, supporting the municipal government to increase its adaptive capacity.

Occurrence of 1153 organic micropollutants in the aquatic environment of Vietnam.
H. T. C. Chau, K. Kadokami, H. T. Duong, L. Kong, T. T. Nguyen and others. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2015, pp. 1-10.

Abstract: The rapid increase in the number and volume of chemical substances being used in modern society has been accompanied by a large number of potentially hazardous chemicals being found in environmental samples. In Vietnam, the monitoring of chemical substances is mainly limited to a small number of known pollutants in spite of rapid economic growth and urbanization, and there is an urgent need to examine a large number of chemicals to prevent impacts from expanding environmental pollution. However, it is difficult to analyze a large number of chemicals using existing methods, because they are time consuming and expensive. In the present study, we determined 1153 substances to grasp a pollution picture of microcontaminants in the aquatic environment. To achieve this objective, we have used two comprehensive analytical methods: (1) solid-phase extraction (SPE) and LC-TOF-MS analysis, and (2) SPE and GC-MS analysis. We collected 42 samples from northern (the Red River and Hanoi), central (Hue and Danang), and southern (Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon-Dongnai River) Vietnam. One hundred and sixty-five compounds were detected at least once. The compounds detected most frequently (>40 % samples) at μg/L concentrations were sterols (cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, coprostanol), phthalates (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate), and pharmaceutical and personal care products (caffeine, metformin). These contaminants were detected at almost the same detection frequency as in developed countries. The results reveal that surface waters in Vietnam, particularly in the center of large cities, are polluted by a large number of organic micropollutants, with households and business activities as the major sources. In addition, risk quotients (MEC/PNEC values) for nonylphenol, sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, acetaminophen, erythromycin and clarithromycin were higher than 1, which indicates a possibility of adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. [spr].

Gender issues

Summary of key findings of The National Report on Social Protection for women and girls in Viet Nam.
UN Women, 2014.

Abstract: In 2013, the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA), under the aegis of Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) conducted a research study to compile the National Report on Social Protection for women and girls in Viet Nam. UN Women, Viet Nam supported this pioneering effort towards creating a significant reference document on gender equality and women’s protection for policy makers and administrators. The study aimed to identify gender specific concerns and challenges in the current social security protection system, assess the implementation of social security policies for women and girls in accordance with Resolution 15 and Resolution 701, to forecast the results for the 2014 to 2020 period and to propose recommendations to enhance women and girls’ participation and benefits under Viet Nam’s social security system. [NW_ShortReport_English_FINAL_2.pdf]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/en/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/393-summary-of-key-findings-of-the-national-report-on-social-protection-for-women-and-girls-in-viet-nam.html.

Access to Justice in the Plural Legal System in Viet Nam: A case study of women domestic violence survivors.
Le Thi Thuc, Le Thuy Hang, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai and Chu Thi Thuy Hang. Nhà xuất bản Lao động, 2015.

Abstract: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women stated that domestic violence is one of most insidious forms of violence against women prevalent in all societies1. The National Survey on Domestic Violence in Viet Nam conducted in 2010 discovered that 58 percent of ever-married women reported having experienced at least one form of domestic violence in their lifetime (GSO 2010). Despite the high prevalence of domestic violence, the issue is largely met with a deep silence within Vietnamese society. In fact, nine-out-of-10 women have never sought help from authorities or formal services according to the survey. The small number of women who pursue justice through the State legal system often face layers of obstacles with little possibility of a conviction for the offence being reached. In reality, the majority of women use quasi-State and non-State legal systems to seek redress, protection and remedies. — This is a study initiated within the framework of a regional study on women’s access to justice through plural legal systems. The regional study is conducted through UN Women’s regional programme on “Improving Women’s Human Rights in Southeast Asia – CEDAW, Phase II” with the support from the Government of Canada. In Viet Nam, the Institute of Sociology, a State organization part of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, worked with the UN Women country office in Viet Nam to conduct this study on “women’s access to justice in the plural legal system in Viet Nam from the CEDAW perspective to promote policies, focusing on domestic violence”. This study analyzes the relationship between formal and informal legal systems and identifies factors preventing women from accessing justice. It also determines specific demands and steps to address barriers in the plural legal system and increase women’s access to justice. [Access to Justice in Vietnam report_Eng.pdf]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/en/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/449-access-to-justice-in-the-plural-legal-system-in-viet-nam.html.

Tiếp cận công lý trong hệ thống pháp lý đa kênh: Nghiên cứu điển hình về bạo lực gia đình đối với phụ nữ ở Việt Nam.
Le Thi Thuc, Le Thuy Hang, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai and Chu Thi Thuy Hang. Nhà xuất bản Lao động, 2015.

Abstract: Ủy ban về Xóa bỏ Phân biệt đối xử với Phụ nữ khẳng định bạo lực gia đình là một trong những hình thức bạo lực chống lại phụ nữ diễn ra âm thầm và phổ biến ở mọi xã hội1. Theo một khảo sát quốc gia được thực hiện tại Việt Nam năm 2010, 58% số phụ nữ được hỏi cho biết từng trải qua ít nhất một hình thức bạo lực gia đình trong đời (TCTK 2010). Bạo lực gia đình có mức độ phổ biến cao, song có một sự im lặng bao trùm lên vấn đề này. Trên thực tế, theo khảo sát, 9 trong số 10 phụ nữ chưa từng tìm kiếm sự giúp đỡ của chính quyền hoặc các dịch vụ hỗ trợ chính thức. Chỉ có một số ít phụ nữ theo đuổi tìm kiếm công lý thông qua hệ thống pháp lý Nhà nước và họ sẽ phải đối mặt với nhiều tầng trở ngại mà khả năng người gây bạo lực bị kết tội là rất thấp. Trên thực tế, phần đông phụ nữ sẽ sử dụng hệ thống pháp lý có tính Nhà nước hoặc phi Nhà nước để được đền bù, bảo vệ và bồi thường. — Báo cáo này là sáng kiến nghiên cứu trong khuôn khổ Chương trình nghiên cứu khu vực về tiếp cận công lý của phụ nữ trong hệ thống pháp lý đa kênh. Nghiên cứu khu vực được thực hiện thông qua chương trình khu vực của Cơ quan Liên Hợp quốc về bình đẳng giới và trao quyền cho phụ nữ (UN Women) về “Cải thiện Quyền con người của Phụ nữ ở khu vực Đông Nam Á – CEDAW, Giai đoạn II” với sự hỗ trợ của chính phủ Canada. Tại Việt Nam, Viện Xã Hội học, một cơ quan nhà nước, thuộc Học viện Chính trị quốc gia Hồ Chí Minh phối hợp với Cơ quan Liên Hợp quốc về Bình đẳng giới và trao quyền cho phụ nữ tại Việt Nam tiến hành nghiên cứu với chủ đề Tiếp cận công lý trong hệ thống pháp lý đa kênh ở Việt Nam từ quan điểm của Công ước CEDAW, nhằm cải thiện chính sách, tập trung vào vấn đề bạo lực gia đình”. Nghiên cứu này nhằm phân tích mối quan hệ giữa hệ thống pháp luật chính thức và không chính thức và xác định các yếu tố hạn chế phụ nữ tiếp cận công lý. Bên cạnh đó, nghiên cứu cũng nhằm chỉ rõ những yêu cầu và bước đi cụ thể nhằm xóa bỏ các rào cản trong hệ thống pháp lý đa kênh và tăng khả năng tiếp cận công lý của phụ nữ. [Access to Justice in Vietnam report_Vie.pdf]. Free full text http://www.un.org.vn/vi/publications/publications-by-agency/doc_details/449-access-to-justice-in-the-plural-legal-system-in-viet-nam.html.

Health care

The complex remuneration of human resources for health in low-income settings: policy implications and a research agenda for designing effective financial incentives.
Maria Paola Bertone and Sophie Witter. Human resources for health, 2015, volume 13.

Background: Human resources for health represent an essential component of health systems and play a key role to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa face challenges regarding the availability, distribution and performance of health workers, which could be in part addressed by providing effective financial incentives. –

Methods: Based on an overview of the existing literature, the paper highlights the gaps in the existing research in low-income countries exploring the different components of health workers’ incomes. It then proposes a novel approach to the analysis of financial incentives and delineates a research agenda, which could contribute to shed light on this topic. –

Findings: The article finds that, while there is ample research that investigates separately each of the incomes health workers may earn (for example, salary, fee-for-service payments, informal incomes, “top-ups” and per diems, dual practice and non-health activities), there is a dearth of studies which look at the health workers’ “complex remuneration”, that is, the whole of the financial incentives available. Little research exists which analyses simultaneously all revenues of health workers, quantifies the overall remuneration and explores its complexity, its multiple components and their features, as well as the possible interaction between income components. However, such a comprehensive approach is essential to fully comprehend health workers’ incentives, by investigating the causes (at individual and system level) of the fragmentation in the income structure and the variability in income levels, as well as the consequences of the “complex remuneration” on motivation and performance. This proposition has important policy implications in terms of devising effective incentive packages as it calls for an active consideration of the role that “complex remuneration” plays in determining recruitment, retention and motivation patterns, as well as, more broadly, the performance of health systems. –

Conclusions: This paper argues that research focusing on the health workers’ “complex remuneration” is critical to address some of the most challenging issues affecting human resources for health. An empirical research agenda is proposed to fill the gap in our understanding. Free full text http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/13/1/62.

Patient safety and quality of care in developing countries in Southeast Asia: a systematic literature review.
Reema Harrison, Adrienne Wai Seung COHEN and Merrilyn Walton. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 2015, volume 27, number 4, pp. 240-254.

Objective: To establish current knowledge of patient safety and quality of care in developing countries in Southeast Asia, current interventions and the knowledge gaps.

Study design Systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Data sources Key words, synonyms and subject headings were used to search seven electronic databases in addition to manual searching of relevant journals.

Data synthesis Titles and abstracts of publications between 1990 and 2014 were screened by two reviewers and checked by a third. Full text articles were screened against the eligibility criteria. Data on design, methods and key findings were extracted and synthesized.

Results Four inter-related safety and quality concerns were evident from 33 publications: (i) the risk of patient infection in healthcare delivery, (ii) medications errors/use, (iii) the quality and provision of maternal and perinatal care and (iv) the quality of healthcare provision overall.

Conclusions Large-scale prevalence studies are needed to identify the full range of safety and quality problems in developing countries in Southeast Asia. Sharing lessons learnt from extensive quality and safety work conducted in industrialized nations may contribute to significant improvements. Yet the applicability of interventions utilized in developed countries to the political and social context in this region must be considered. Strategies to facilitate the collection of robust safety and quality data in the context of limited resources and the local context in each country are needed. [ojo].

Household antimicrobial self-medication: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the burden, risk factors and outcomes in developing countries.
Moses Ocan, Ekwaro A. Obuku, Freddie Bwanga, Dickens Akena, Sennono Richard and others. BMC Public Health, 2015, volume 15.

Background: Antimicrobial self-medication is common in most low and middle income countries (LMICs). However there has been no systematic review on non-prescription antimicrobial use in these settings. This review thus intended to establish the burden, risk factors and effects of antimicrobial self-medication in Low and Middle Income Countries. –

Methods: In 2012, we registered a systematic review protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42012002508). We searched PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Embase databases using the following terms; “self-medication”, “non-prescription”, ‘self-treatment’, “antimicrobial”, “antimalarial”, “antibiotic”, “antibacterial” “2002-2012” and combining them using Boolean operators. We performed independent and duplicate screening and abstraction of study administrative data, prevalence, determinants, type of antimicrobial agent, source, disease conditions, inappropriate use, drug adverse events and clinical outcomes of antibiotic self-medication where possible. We performed a Random Effects Meta-analysis. –

Results: A total of thirty four (34) studies involving 31,340 participants were included in the review. The overall prevalence of antimicrobial self-medication was 38.8 % (95 % CI: 29.5-48.1). Most studies assessed non-prescription use of antibacterial (17/34: 50 %) and antimalarial (5/34: 14.7 %) agents. The common disease symptoms managed were, respiratory (50 %), fever (47 %) and gastrointestinal (45 %). The major sources of antimicrobials included, pharmacies (65.5 %), leftover drugs (50 %) and drug shops (37.5 %). Twelve (12) studies reported inappropriate drug use; not completing dose (6/12) and sharing of medicines (4/12). The main determinants of antimicrobial self-medication include, level of education, age, gender, past successful use, severity of illness and income. Reported negative outcomes of antimicrobial self-medication included, allergies (2/34: 5.9 %), lack of cure (4/34: 11.8 %) and causing death (2/34: 5.9 %). The commonly reported positive outcome was recovery from illness (4/34: 11.8 %). –

Conclusion: The prevalence of antimicrobial self-medication is high and varies in different communities as well as by social determinants of health and is frequently associated with inappropriate drug use. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/15/742.

Why are people with dengue dying? A scoping review of determinants for dengue mortality.
Mabel Carabali, Libia Milena Hernandez, Maria Jose Arauz, Luis Angel Villar and Valéry Ridde. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2015, volume 15.

Background: Dengue is a viral disease whose clinical spectrum ranges from unapparent to severe forms and fatal outcomes. Although dengue death is 99 % avoidable, every year around 20,000 deaths are estimated to occur in more than 100 countries. We consider that, along with biological factors, social determinants of health (SDHs) are related to dengue deaths as well. –

Methods: A scoping review was conducted to explore what has been written about the role of SDHs in dengue mortality. The inclusion criteria were that documents (grey or peer-reviewed) had to include information about dengue fatal cases in humans and be published between 1997 and 2013 and written in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French. The search was conducted using a set of key words related to dengue mortality in several electronic databases: PubMed, LILACS, COCHRANE, Scielo, Science Direct, WHOLIS, OpenGrey, OpenSingle and Google Scholar. Information on SDHs was categorized under individual, social and environmental, and health systems dimensions. A summative content analysis using QDA Miner was conducted to assess the frequency of information on SDHs and its contextual meaning in the reviewed literature. The role of each SDH in dengue mortality was assessed using content analysis results. –

Results: From a total of 971 documents retrieved, 78 met the criteria. Those documents were published in the Americas region (50.0 %), Asia (38.4 %), Europe (9.0 %) and Africa (2.6 %). The described SDHs related to dengue deaths included, in the individual dimension: age, ethnicity, education, type of infection and immunological status; and in the social dimension: poverty and care-seeking behavior. The health systems dimension included access, opportunity, and quality of care, as well as health staff knowledge. Ethnicity was considered a determinant that depends on cultural and socioeconomic conditions. –

Conclusions: Along with biological factors, there are several SDHs related to dengue mortality. However, only a few of these have been systematically analyzed, suggesting the need for more studies on this subject to inform the design and implementation of sustainable interventions to decrease dengue mortality. These findings nevertheless provide a better understanding of the non-biological factors involved in dengue mortality. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/15/301.

Estimating the Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Prevention Programmes in Vietnam, 2006-2010: A Modelling Study.
Q. D. Pham, D. P. Wilson, C. C. Kerr, A. J. Shattock, H. M. Do and others. PLoS ONE, 2015, volume 10, number 7, p. e0133171.

INTRODUCTION: Vietnam has been largely reliant on international support in its HIV response. Over 2006-2010, a total of US$480 million was invested in its HIV programmes, more than 70% of which came from international sources. This study investigates the potential epidemiological impacts of these programmes and their cost-effectiveness.

METHODS: We conducted a data synthesis of HIV programming, spending, epidemiological, and clinical outcomes. Counterfactual scenarios were defined based on assumed programme coverage and behaviours had the programmes not been implemented. An epidemiological model, calibrated to reflect the actual epidemiological trends, was used to estimate plausible ranges of programme impacts. The model was then used to estimate the costs per averted infection, death, and disability adjusted life-year (DALY).

RESULTS: Based on observed prevalence reductions amongst most population groups, and plausible counterfactuals, modelling suggested that antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention programmes over 2006-2010 have averted an estimated 50,600 [95% uncertainty bound: 36,300-68,900] new infections and 42,600 [36,100-54,100] deaths, resulting in 401,600 [312,200-496,300] fewer DALYs across all population groups. HIV programmes in Vietnam have cost an estimated US$1,972 [1,447-2,747], US$2,344 [1,843-2,765], and US$248 [201-319] for each averted infection, death, and DALY, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Our evaluation suggests that HIV programmes in Vietnam have most likely had benefits that are cost-effective. ART and direct HIV prevention were the most cost-effective interventions in reducing HIV disease burden. Free full text http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133171.

Factors associated with four or more antenatal care services among pregnant women: a cross-sectional survey in eight South Central Coast provinces of Vietnam.
Bui T. T. Ha, Pham V. Tac, Duong M. Duc, Doan T. T. Duong and Le M. Thi. International Journal of Women’s Health, 2015, volume 7, pp. 699-706.

BACKGROUND: In Vietnam, four or more antenatal care (ANC4+) visits/services among pregnant women have not been officially reported in the health system. Moreover, the factors associated with the use of ANC4+ services have not been studied in previous studies. In this study, we conducted an exploratory analysis to identify the rate of utilization of ANC4+ services and factors associated with use of ANC4+ services among pregnant women in rural areas of Vietnam.

METHODS: The study was conducted in eight provinces in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam between August 2013 and May 2014. A total of 907 women, who delivered in the past 1 year, participated in the study. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the association between all potential factors and utilization of ANC4+ services.

RESULTS: The rate of utilization of ANC4+ services by women in eight South Central Coast provinces was 53.9%. Factors negatively associated with using ANC4+ services were belonging to ethnic minority groups having lower education, doing informal works, having lower income, having lower knowledge on ANC4+ services, and receiving no financial support from the husband. In particular, financial support from the husband was considered important in improving the use of ANC4+ services by women in rural areas.

CONCLUSION: The study asserted an inadequacy for ANC4+ utilization and can contribute to missed opportunities to achieve better maternal outcomes for women in rural areas of Vietnam. The necessity of introducing ANC4+ services in the national guidelines on maternal health care should be disseminated to health policy-makers. Strategies to increase ANC4+ utilization should focus on knowledge improvement and on poor, low-income, and ethnic minority women. Free full text http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4509539/.

Energy

Energy Efficiencies in ASEAN Region.
Xunpeng Shi. in: Handbook of Clean Energy Systems, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2015.

Abstract: With the continuous growth of economy and population, electrification, industrialization, and urbanization, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) energy demand will be more than tripled during 2010–2035, which will create huge pressure on energy supply, energy security, and the environment. Energy efficiency, which offers a possible measure to mitigate the demand shock, is particularly important in ASEAN because of the dramatic energy demand growth and vast energy saving potential. Many ASEAN countries have implemented various measures to promote energy efficiencies, with Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines being the leaders. The development of energy efficiencies in ASEAN members, in terms of sectoral goals, action plan, policy measures, activities, and achievements, however, is unbalanced, which offer opportunities for regional cooperation. Good practice in some ASEAN members in the areas of goals, policy instruments, standards, labeling, and financing offer lessons for the others. Regional cooperation has been present in the past few decades fueled by ASEAN dialog countries and is further boosted by the building of ASEAN Economic Community. The considerable economic benefits from the cooperation will further sustain the energy cooperation. [wiley].

Transport

ASEAN-wide Connectivity by realizing RO/RO Shipping Network: Challenges and Opportunities.
Masahiko Furuichi, Ken Kumazawa and Tatsuyuki Shishido. Opportunities and Challenges in the Context of Infrastructure and Linkages Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASEAN COMMUNITY 2015: Theme: Issues, International Islamic University Malaysia 2nd & 3rd March 2015, 2015.

Abstract: The vision of ASEAN Leaders to build an ASEAN Community by 2015 calls for a wellconnected ASEAN that will contribute towards a more competitive and resilient ASEAN. An enhanced ASEAN Connectivity is essential to achieve the ASEAN Community. As a key step towards realizing the ASEAN Community of continued economic growth, reduced development gap and improved connectivity among the ASEAN Member States and between the Member States and the rest of the world by enhancing regional and national physical, institutional and people-to-people linkages, ASEAN had prepared the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) in October 2010 (ASEAN, 2010). Rollon/ Roll-off (RO/RO) shipping is unique in providing seamless services of carrying passengers, vehicles, general cargoes on trucks, and containers on chassis. ASEAN had decided to take up a challenge to strengthen ASEAN-wide connectivity by RO/RO shipping network. Accordingly, the ASEAN RO/RO study was funded and conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to realize the ASEAN RO/RO shipping network development project which was listed one of the priority projects in the MPAC (JICA, 2013). This paper, referring to the JICA study (2013), aims at providing 1) a comparative analysis of cross-border RO/RO shipping practices, 2) a preliminary F/S on ASEAN RO/RO priority routes, and 3) necessary policy initiatives of legal and institutional framework on sea and land cross-border transport to ensure RO/RO shipping services among the Member States. Free full text https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Masahiko_Furuichi/publication/273694581_ASEAN-wide_Connectivity_by_realizing_RORO_Shipping_Network_-Challenges_and_Opportunities-/links/5508daf60cf2d7a2812b3dcc.pdf.

Urban development

Urbanization in Vietnam.
Gisele Bousquet. Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series, 2015.

Abstract: Most studies on urbanisation focus on the move of rural people to cities and the impact this has, both on the cities to which the people have moved, and on the rural communities they have left. This book, on the other hand, considers the impact on rural communities of the physical expansion of cities. Based on extensive original research over a long period in one settlement, a rural commune which over the course of the last two decades has become engulfed by Hanoi’s urban spread, the book explores what happens when village people become urbanites or city dwellers – when agriculture is abandoned, population density rises, the value of land increases, people have to make a living in the city, and the dynamics of family life, including gender relations, are profoundly altered. This book charts these developments over time, and sets urbanisation in Vietnam in the wider context of urbanisation in Southeast Asia and Asia more generally.

Labor issues

Harmonious Unions and Rebellious Workers: A Study of Wildcat Strikes in Vietnam.
Mark Anner and Xiangmin Liu. ILR Review, 2015.

Abstract: The authors examine enterprise-level antecedents of wildcat strikes in Vietnam using a national representative sample of foreign-invested enterprises over the period 2010 to 2012, coding of factory audits, and field research. They predict that these unauthorized, semi-spontaneous work stoppages are more common among unionized workplaces, because the presence of a union in the workplace signals to workers that by engaging in a wildcat strike, they may be able to activate the representation and protection role of official trade unions. That is, workers can in some cases push unions from below to act on their behalf. In addition, wholly foreign-owned enterprises, investments by Asian-owned firms, and manufacturing operations in industrial zones are associated with more strikes than are joint ventures with state-owned and private enterprises, firms owned by Western investors, and firms in higher-value-added activities. Statistical results and field research provide strong support for these predictions. These findings suggest that the role of trade unions in socialist states may be more nuanced than previously assumed. At the same time, they reinforce the observation in the literature that Vietnamese employment relations institutions are unable, in and of themselves, to address worker grievances.

How Labour Market Policies Affect Innovation and Trade Competitiveness.
Siwage Dharma Negara. ERIA Discussion Paper 2015-48, 2015.

Abstract: Endogenous growth theory postulates that innovation is one of the key drivers of technological progress and productivity growth of a country. Technological improvements stemming from firms’ innovative activities can contribute to a country’s overall productivity and export competitiveness. For innovation to flourish, it necessitates an environment that is conducive to firms conducting risky innovative activities. Studies show that public policies, including labour market policies, can influence the operating conditions and institutional structures of firms to foster innovation that leads to productivity gains. However, the literature indicates that there is mixed empirical evidence on the impact of labour market policies on firms’ incentives to innovate. This paper argues that more flexible labour market policies that do not constrain workers’ adjustments and mobility will have positive associations with a country’s technological innovation competitiveness. In addition, innovation competitiveness affects a country’s productivity and trade competitiveness. Using a balanced panel of OECD and non-OECD countries, this study offers simple empirical models to measure the relationship between labour market policies and innovation capacity; and between innovation capacity and trade competitiveness. The main findings show that countries with more flexible labour market policies have higher levels of innovation competitiveness. In addition, the paper finds evidence of a positive correlation between innovation competitiveness and trade competitiveness. Free full text http://www.eria.org/publications/discussion_papers/DP2015-48.html.

Social welfare

Trade Liberalisation and Poverty: Vietnam now and beyond.
Minh Son Le, Tarlok Singh and Duc-Tho Nguyen. Routledge, 2015.

Abstract: This book uses Alan Winters’ analytical framework to investigate the effects of trade liberalisation on economic growth and poverty in Vietnam. The country launched a programme of economic and trade reforms, known as Doi Moi, in the mid-1980s which placed the economy on a transitional path from central planning to a market economy. Since then Vietnam has attained a number of remarkable achievements in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction. Although some formidable problems (such as inequality and inflation) remain, it is apparent that trade liberalisation has been associated with a big reduction in poverty. The analysis in the book focuses on the microeconomic (household) level, and there is an emphasis on tracing the effects of trade liberalisation through the four separate channels identified by Winters. Such in-depth and micro-level analyses yield new insights that support important policy lessons and recommendations for Vietnam in particular and, more generally, for similar developing countries.

From Padi States to Commercial States: Reflections on Identity and the Social Construction Space in the Borderlands of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.
Frédéric Bourdier, Jacques Ivanoff, Maxime Boutry and Olivier Ferrari. Amsterdam University Press, 2015.

Abstract: “Zomia” is a term coined in 2002 to describe the broad swath of mountainous land in Southeast Asia that has always been beyond the reach of lowland governments despite their technical claims to control. This book expands the anthropological reach of that term, applying it to any deterritorialized people, from cast-out migrants to modern resisters—in the process finding new ways to understand the realities of peoples and ethnicities that refuse to become part of the modern state.

The Economic Lives of People with Disabilities in Vietnam.
Michael Palmer, Nora Groce, Daniel Mont, Oanh Hong Nguyen and Sophie Mitra. PLoS ONE, 2015, volume 10, number 7.

Abstract: Through a series of focus group discussions conducted in northern and central Vietnam, this study gives voice to the lived economic experience of families with disabilities and how they manage the economic challenges associated with disability. The dynamic of low and unstable income combined with on-going health care and other disability-related costs gives rise to a range of coping mechanisms (borrowing, reducing and foregoing expenditures, drawing upon savings and substituting labour) that helps to maintain living standards in the short-run yet threatens the longer-term welfare of both the individual with disability and their household. Current social protection programs were reported as not accessible to all and while addressing some immediate economic costs of disability, do not successfully meet current needs nor accommodate wider barriers to availing benefits. Free full text http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2634506.

International Migration in Southeast Asia: Continuities and Discontinuities.
Kwen Fee Lian, Md Mizanur Rahman and Yabit bin Alas. Springer, 2015.

Abstract: This book is a collection of work by migration scholars and researchers who are actively conducting fieldwork in Southeast Asia. It presents a wide variety of current research and approaches the field of international labor migration from a regional perspective, acknowledging that the migration process goes beyond local and national boundaries and is embedded in regional and global interconnections. The chapters capture the complexity and richness of the migration phenomenon and experience, which manifests itself in a multitude of ways in a region well known for its diversity. The collection highlights the continuities and discontinuities in the linkages that have been forged through the movement of people between sending and receiving societies. Such linkages are explained by distinguishing between migration that has been sustained by a colonial past and migration that has been precipitated by globalization in the last two decades. The diversity of issues in the region covered by this volume will encourage a rethink of some of the conventional views of migration scholarship and result in a more critical reflection of how we approach migration research.

Itinerant livelihoods: Street vending-scapes and the politics of mobility in upland socialist Vietnam.
Sarah Turner and Natalie Oswin. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 2015.

Abstract: This paper explores the politics of mobility for a group of rural inhabitants attempting to diversify their livelihoods in an especially prescribed environment, namely ethnic minority street vendors living and working in upland socialist Vietnam. These Hmong, Yao and Giáy individuals face a political environment where access and trade rights shift on a near-daily basis because of the impulses of state officials, and where ethnicity is central to determining who gets to be mobile and how. We analyse three groups of itinerant vendors—those vending on the streets of an upland tourist town, the mobile minority wholesalers who supply them and other traders, and vendors who trek with Western tourists—to reveal the nature of this trade environment, while also highlighting the ways in which ethnic minority vendors negotiate, work around and contest vending restrictions in numerous innovative ways. We find that this focus on the micro-geographies and everyday politics of mobility is essential to understanding how rural Global South livelihoods are fashioned and diversified, in this case revealing specific relationships and negotiations regarding resource access, ethnicity, state authority and livelihood strategies. [wiley].

Leading or following? International societies, Southeast Asia, and the issue of migrant workers.
Linda Quayle. Global Discourse, 2015, volume 5, number 3, pp. 415-430.

Abstract: Focusing both on the global domain and on Southeast Asia?s regional international society, this article uses the English School?s (ES) pluralist/solidarist spectrum to map and compare responses to the issue of migrant workers. This case suggests, firstly, that the complexity of the relationship between global and regional societies is exacerbated by the starkly diverging pluralist and solidarist streams within the former; secondly, that the informal, consensus-oriented methods of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, though often criticized, have proved useful at global level in moving dialogue forward in this contentious area; and thirdly, that regional international societies provide highly salient arenas for dealing with this issue, but still struggle with inter-regional difference and trans-regional challenges. The questions that the topic of migration foregrounds ? the relationship between different levels of society, solidarist ambition, and regional potential ? are questions on which the ES can already provide useful responses, but which also open up promising agendas for future work.

Encounters and Mobilities: Conceptual Issues in Tourism Studies in Southeast Asia.
Victor T. King. Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 2015, volume 30, number 2, pp. 497-527.

Abstract: There have been recent attempts to advance research in tourism studies and to redefine the rationale and focus of this field of study. Erik Cohen and Scott A. Cohen have published important and stimulating papers in a recent exercise aimed at rethinking the sociological and anthropological analysis of tourism. They propose a “mobilities” paradigm as a conceptual way forward. However, with reference to Southeast Asian research material the established concept of “encounter”, incorporating the notion of a field of social, cultural, symbolic and virtual interaction, continues to provide an alternative way to think about and analyse on-the-ground activities at tourism sites.

Trade

The ASEAN–China Free Trade Area — A Success or a Failure? A Preliminary Evaluation Based on Econometric Evidence.
Stefania Paladini and Joseph Yu-Shek Cheng. Journal of Comparative Asian Development, 2015, pp. 1-29.

Abstract: The ASEAN?China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) is the first of the free trade agreements signed by ASEAN with its major trade partners, and is generally considered a success. However, while liberalization of trade among ASEAN countries has historically not provoked any major issues, things went differently concerning the ACFTA, and complaints have been raised that the treaty allows China too many trade benefits. The purpose of this article is to evaluate, using trade gravity equations, if there is any evidence that the ACFTA has been responsible for the growing trade imbalance between China and Indonesia. The model has not produced any conclusive results about the negative effects on the ACFTA for Indonesia. Given the relevance of this treaty for the ongoing regional integration in Asia, however, the coming years will be crucial in determining the form of it among the existing options and the outcome now seems more uncertain than ever. [wiley].

Developing Domestic and Export Markets and Levelling Up Trade in Value-Added: Lessons Learnt.
Ben Shepherd. ERIA Discussion Paper 2015-49, 2015.

Abstract: There is clear evidence of increased internationalisation of ASEAN value chains, as well as industrial growth. Changes have typically been more rapid in Central and Eastern Europe than in ASEAN, probably due to economic transition and joining the European Union. Germany has played an important role as an anchor economy–a source of final demand, and of technology-rich investment–and ASEAN will need to continue looking to regional economies such as Japan and Republic of Korea in this light. The emphasis in most ASEAN countries will now need to shift towards ‘moving up’ to higher value-added activities, such as research and development, which have positive spillovers for the rest of the economy. Free full text http://www.eria.org/publications/discussion_papers/DP2015-49.html.

Tourism

Monitoring the Implementation of Services Trade Reform towards an ASEAN Economic Community.
Philippa Dee. ERIA Discussion Paper 2015-44, 2015.

Abstract: This paper assesses the extent to which the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) is helping ASEAN member states achieve their ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) goal of free flow of services in the region. Even after eight rounds of services trade negotiations, the trade commitments lag actual practice. Thus, if the AFAS process is to do a better job of driving real reform, it will need to be more closely linked to the domestic policy development processes in each member country. One strategy would be to switch from a positive list approach to a negative list approach to negotiations. This could be the ‘game changer’; it would require a major policy review, and thereby allow countries to develop an overall services trade strategy anchored within the domestic policy development process. Other desirable changes would be a ratchet mechanism, whereby any future domestic reforms would be automatically bound into AFAS schedules, and a mechanism to ensure that whenever mode 3 commitments are made, the appropriate mode 4 commitments are also made. Supporting changes are also needed to domestic regulatory environments. For example, some ASEAN members need to improve the quality and enforcement of their prudential regulation if they are to make further progress in opening up their financial markets to foreign participation. Finally, it is critical to have regulatory frameworks that are conducive to contestability more generally, so that when foreign companies do enter the market, they do not have an unnatural AFAS-induced advantage over domestic new entrants. Thus, the key to making further real progress towards a free flow of services in the region is to focus on domestic regulatory improvement more generally. Free full text http://www.eria.org/publications/discussion_papers/DP2015-44.html.

Water

Accuracy assessment of mapping groundwater quality in Can Tho city, Viet Nam.
Phuong N. Truong. Journal of Science and Technology, 2015, volume 53, number 3A.

Abstract: Groundwater is one of the most important sources of fresh-water for the people living in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Particularly, in the coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta, local people essentially rely on groundwater for domestic uses and agriculture. The quality of groundwater is hence a matter of great concern. Mapping groundwater quality over an area is needed for a better planning of ground water quality monitoring stations and efficient remedy for possible pollutions. Spatial interpolation method is often used for mapping ground water quality over an area using data from discrete monitoring wells. Different interpolation methods can result in groundwater quality maps of different accuracies. This research studies the effects of inverse distance weighted interpolation and kriging on the accuracy of mapping ground water quality in Can Tho city, Viet Nam. The accuracy of mapping is quantified by cross-validation using data of Arsenic, COD and Chloride from 34 monitoring wells across Can Tho city. The information about the accuracy of these groundwater quality maps will help the authorities optimize groundwater quality monitoring and sustainable management of groundwater resource. Free full text https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Phuong_Truong7/publication/275771801_Accuracy_assessment_of_mapping_groundwater_quality_in_Can_Tho_city_Viet_Nam/links/55894c6408ae9076016e9e1a.pdf.

Compiled by:
Vũ Thị Nha
Librarian
World Bank Group
63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel.: +84-4-3934 6845
Email: nvu2@worldbankgroup.org

This used to be published on VDIC website (www.vdic.org.vn) but the service is no longer available online. It’s currently distributed via emails as a service of the World Bank in Vietnam. I repost this valuable resource here so that others may be able to use too. I will post back volumes on this blog when I have time.

For backlog volumes and related issues, please contact:
Ms. Vu Thi Nha, Librarian
World Bank Group
63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel.: +84-4-3934 6845
Email: nvu2@worldbankgroup.org

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Agriculture and rural development

Establishing an Evolutionary Learning Laboratory for Improving the Quality of Life of Vietnamese Women in Small-scale Agriculture: Part II – Systemic Interventions.
Tuan M. Ha, Ockie J. H. Bosch and Nam C. Nguyen. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 2015.

Abstract: This study applies a systems thinking approach by using the seven-step Evolutionary Learning Laboratory (ELLab) framework to identify the most economically, environmentally, culturally and socially appropriate systemic solutions to improving the quality of life for women smallholders in rural Haiphong (Northern Vietnam), with a special focus on the perceived (visible) problem of labour constraints. This paper focuses on the first five steps of the ELLab. Income, production efficiency (leading to less work pressure) and health were found to be the major contributing factors for improving the quality of life of the women farmers. The systemic interventions that will have the most effect on achieving the aforementioned leverages were defined, and the first integrated management plan was formulated to improve the quality of life of the women farmers. Although not part of this paper, further refinement and validation of the plan will be carried out in the next two steps of the ELLab process. The outcomes and lessons learned from this research will be shared with other case studies via a globally established ‘sharing platform’ in the Access Hub of the web-based think2impact (http://think2impact.org) package. The purpose of this process is not only to improve the local knowledge and systemic management plans to help the women in agriculture in Haiphong but also to contribute to enhancing the global knowledge pool on dealing with complex issues in rural areas of many countries around the world. [Wiley].

Technical Efficiency of Ecologically Engineered Rice Production in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam: Application of SFA.
Vo Hong Tu and Mitsuyasu Yabe. Global Journal of human-social science: D Agriculture and Veterinary, 2015, volume 15, number 5.

Abstract: An overuse of agro-chemicals in rice production has caused serious problems on biodiversity loss, water pollution, public health impacts and yield losses. Recently, the outbreaks of brown-plant hoppers was a great matter of concern. To deal with these issues, the use of ecological engineering was introduced in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam since 2009. However, there were no study on the potential benefits of the model in terms of technical efficiency. Hence, the objective of this study is to estimate and compare the technical efficiency of ecologically engineered rice farmers to those with traditional rice by using stochastic frontier analysis. We have found that the eco rice farmers had higher input and output-oriented technical efficiency scores but insignificant compared to those with normal rice. The mean output-oriented technical efficiency of eco rice was 91.5%, which was 1% higher than that of traditional rice, 90.5%. Free full text http://journalofscience.org/index.php/GJSFR/article/viewFile/1515/1376.

Access to Credit and Rice Production Efficiency of Rural Households in the Mekong Delta.
Vuong Quoc Duy. Economics Proceedings of the Second Asia-Pacific Conference on Global Business, Finance and Social Sciences (AP15Vietnam Conference) Danang Vietnam 10-12 July 2015, 2015.

Abstract: Currently, rice production in the Mekong Delta region accounts for more than 50% of Vietnam’s total paddy production and 90% of its rice export volume. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of rice production systems and enhancing the comparative advantage of Vietnam’s rice industry have been an important focus area for policy makers and researchers for many years. Access to credit has been identified as a key factor for improving rice production. This fact is validated in this study by considering the production and technical efficiency levels of rice production for a sample of farmers in the Mekong Delta. The study focuses particularly on the effects of both formal and informal credits on production levels and production efficiency by using a Stochastic frontier analysis and a quantile regression. The results confirm the positive influence of credit on production and production efficiency. Both formal and informal credit appears to be important. [Duy-2015]. Free full text http://globalbizresearch.org/Vietnam_Conference/pdf/VL583.pdf.

Adapting Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) to Local Contexts in REDD+: Lessons from Three Experiments in Vietnam.
Thuy Thu Pham, Jean-Christophe Castella, Guillaume Lestrelin, Ole Mertz, Dung Ngoc Le and others. Forests, 2015, volume 6, number 7, pp. 2405-2423.

Abstract: Free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is a means of ensuring that people’s rights are respected when reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) projects are established in developing countries. This paper examines how FPIC has been applied in three projects in Vietnam and highlights two key lessons learnt. First, as human rights and democracy are seen as politically sensitive issues in Vietnam, FPIC is likely to be more accepted by the government if it is built upon the national legal framework on citizen rights. Applying FPIC in this context can ensure that both government and citizen’s interests are achieved within the permitted political space. Second, FPIC activities should be seen as a learning process and designed based on local needs and preferences, with accountability of facilitators, two-way and multiple communication strategies, flexibility, and collective action in mind. Free full text http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/6/7/2405/htm.

An assessment of the carbon stocks and sodicity tolerance of disturbed Melaleuca forests in Southern Vietnam.
Da B Tran, Tho V Hoang and Paul Dargusch. Carbon Balance and Management, 2015, volume 10.

Background: In the lower Mekong Basin and coastal zones of Southern Vietnam, forests dominated by the genus Melaleuca have two notable features: most have been substantially disturbed by human activity and can now be considered as degraded forests; and most are subject to acute pressures from climate change, particularly in regards to changes in the hydrological and sodicity properties of forest soil. –

Results: Data was collected and analyzed from five typical Melaleuca stands including: (1) primary Melaleuca forests on sandy soil (VS1); (2) regenerating Melaleuca forests on sandy soil (VS2); (3) degraded secondary Melaleuca forests on clay soil with peat (VS3); (4) regenerating Melaleuca forests on clay soil with peat (VS4); and (5) regenerating Melaleuca forests on clay soil without peat (VS5). Carbon densities of VS1, VS2, VS3, VS4, and VS5 were found to be 275.98, 159.36, 784.68, 544.28, and 246.96 tC/ha, respectively. The exchangeable sodium percentage of Melaleuca forests on sandy soil showed high sodicity, while those on clay soil varied from low to moderate sodicity. –

Conclusions: This paper presents the results of an assessment of the carbon stocks and sodicity tolerance of natural Melaleuca cajuputi communities in Southern Vietnam, in order to gather better information to support the improved management of forests in the region. The results provide important information for the future sustainable management of Melaleuca forests in Vietnam, particularly in regards to forest carbon conservation initiatives and the potential of Melaleuca species for reforestation initiatives on degraded sites with highly sodic soils. Free full text http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/10/1/15.

Drivers Affecting Forest Change in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS): An Overview.
John Costenbader, Jeremy Broadhead, Yurdi Yasmi and Patrick B. Durst. FAO Policy brief, 2015.

Key policy messages:
1. Negative and positive drivers affecting forests in the GMS co-exist. Negative drivers result in deforestation and forest degradation, and positive drivers promote sustainable forest management (SFM), forest conservation, afforestation and reforestation. Negative drivers are still more dominant than positive ones. Nevertheless, growing signs of positive drivers are starting to emerge in the GMS countries. Policy makers, forest managers and practitioners need to be aware of these drivers and find ways to enhance the positive ones, while reducing the negative ones.

2. In order to promote SFM and address deforestation and forest degradation, the GMS countries need to foster integrated landuse planning and management at all levels. At the same time, efforts to improve governance, build political consensus, and promote integrated research and capacity building need to be strengthened.

3. As the GMS countries are becoming more integrated, and the flow of forest products and services among them is increasing, there is a need to enhance regional cooperation through existing mechanisms. Addressing deforestation and forest degradation should not be seen as a country-specific task, constrained within individual national boundaries, given that drivers affect forest change across national borders. Free full text http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/rap/files/NRE/Forestry_Group/Policy_brief__FPG_-July_2015.pdf.

Managing Global Risks: Vietnamese Poultry Farmers and Avian Flu.
Muriel Figue and Stephanie Desvaux. in: Socio-Ecological Dimensions of Infectious Diseases in Southeast Asia, Springer, 2015.

Abstract: This chapter documents the logics underpinning farmers’ management practices of an emerging disease. In the area of our survey, Vietnamese farmers, who are one of the front lines of the fight against H5N1, are called upon to collaborate to the international fight against the virus. Our study highlights that direct (poultry mortality) and indirect impacts (consequence of the measures imposed by the government to contain the virus, fluctuation of consumers’ demand, etc.) tend to be relatively limited when compared to the permanent state of instability which characterizes the context of poultry production in the surveyed village. This instability is mainly related to numerous and regular poultry infectious diseases and market fluctuations. If international community considers H5N1 as a zoonotic risk and a pandemic threat which asks for emergency tools, H5N1 is framed by the farmers of our study as epizootic problem manageable through routinized measures. These measures aim at minimizing the economic impact of the disease rather than preventing poultry and human from the disease. Consequently, local management of the disease cannot fit with the precautionary approach promoted by the international community. [spr].

Resource usage of integrated Pig–Biogas–Fish system: Partitioning and substitution within attributional life cycle assessment.
Trang T. Nhu, Jo Dewulf, Pieterjan Serruys, Sophie Huysveld, Cong V. Nguyen and others. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2015, volume 102, pp. 27-38.

Abstract: The integration of agriculture and aquaculture with anaerobic digestion is a popular practice at small Asian farms as a way of producing energy and fish, i.e. providing a better nutrient balance and resource recycling. Concerns are raised whether the resource efficiency of such system is better or worse relative to the monoculture system. In this study, we focused on quantifying the resource demand of two integrated Pig–Biogas–Fish farms in Vietnam. The analysis was performed by using the exergy concept: exergy flow analysis (ExFA) at process level and Cumulative Exergy Extraction from Natural Environment (CEENE) at life cycle level. Results showed that such integrated systems considerably relied on land (68% farm A and 54% farm B, mainly for pig feed production) and water (28% farm A and 42% farm B, mainly for aquaculture). It can also be concluded that the intensive aquaculture practice had a higher feed input than the semi-intensive one integrated with pig and biogas production; however, the latter system had a higher CEENE value to deliver a similar mass (i.e. one kilogram) of product at farm gate. This is mainly caused by a dramatically low areal yield of the integrated aquaculture, corresponding to an inefficient water use (16 m3 kg−1 fingerlings and 10 m3 kg−1 fish) therefore identified as the resource hotspot. Improvements could be achieved through a better water management in aquaculture and an increased biogas utilization, preventing any leakages. Fertilizing the fish pond with manure-based digestate instead of fresh manure and/or rising the application rate might be a more efficient way to reduce pelleted fish feed consumption, although further research on such options are needed. [sci].

Economic development

Điểm lại: Cập nhật tình hình phát triển kinh tế Việt Nam.
Ngân hàng Thế giới, 2015-07.

Abstract: Báo cáo điểm lại tình hình kinh tế của Việt Nam được công bố 2 lần/một năm cho rằng đây là mức tăng trưởng 6 tháng đầu năm cao nhất của Việt Nam trong vòng 5 năm qua. Theo báo cáo, trong bối cảnh lạm phát thấp, Ngân hàng Nhà nước Việt Nam đã dần nới lỏng chính sách tiền tệ nhằm hỗ trợ các hoạt động kinh tế, đồng thời điều chỉnh tỉ giá để đảm bảo tính cạnh tranh của nền kinh tế. Trong khi đó, cân đối ngân sách của Việt Nam vẫn là mối quan ngại. Nợ công tăng nhanh trong những năm gần đây, và chi phí trả nợ có thể là gánh nặng ngày càng tăng cho ngân sách. Trong khi đó, đà xuất khẩu suy giảm và nhập khẩu tăng nhanh đã đẩy tài khoản vãng lai vào tình trạng thâm hụt trong quý 1 của năm 2015. Tiến độ cải cách cơ cấu chưa tương xứng với kỳ vọng, đặc biệt là trong việc cơ cấu lại doanh nghiệp nhà nước (DNNN) và một phần trong cải cách ngân hàng. Tốc độ cơ cấu lại DNNN dường như đang chậm lại. Đến hết quý 1 mới cổ phần hóa được 29 DNNN so với mục tiêu 289 doanh nghiệp đề ra trong cả năm 2015. Việc thực hiện nghiêm túc các quy đinh pháp lý và pháp quy về quản lý và quản trị DNNN ban hành năm ngoái, và tăng tỉ lệ sở hữu của khu vực tư nhân với DNNN cổ phẩn hóa cần tiếp tục được coi là một ưu tiên chính. –

Báo cáo Điểm lại có một chuyên mục về thị trường lao động tại Việt Nam, trong đó mô tả chi tiết về sự dịch chuyển lớn trong bức tranh về việc làm trong vòng 25 năm qua. Trước đây, cơ cấu việc làm tại Việt Nam chủ yếu là nông nghiệp gia đình, việc làm trong các hợp tác xã và DNNN nhưng đến nay thì đã có sự dịch chuyển việc làm sang các lĩnh vực sản xuất công nghiệp và dịch vụ, việc làm trong các doanh nghiệp gia đình ngoài nông nghiệp, doanh nghiệp tư nhân trong nước và nước ngoài. Báo cáo cũng nhận định rằng các quy định và thể chế về lao động có khả năng là một nhân tố quan trọng trong tăng trưởng tiền lương/tiền công ở khu vực tư nhân. Báo cáo Điểm lại đưa ra những gợi ý về việc tiếp tục chuyển đổi thị trường lao động của Việt Nam, trong đó có các biện pháp chủ động nhằm tăng cường hệ thống quan hệ lao động công nghiệp, cân bằng giữa việc đảm bảo sự linh hoạt trong thị trường lao động với việc duy trì bền vững tăng trưởng về năng suất, và quản lý những rủi ro về mặt xã hội trong một nền kinh tế có định hướng thị trường rõ nét hơn. Cụ thể hơn, báo cáo cho rằng Việt Nam còn thiếu các thể chế thích hợp để đàm phán và giải quyết tranh chấp liên quan tới lao động. Báo cáo cũng đưa ra một số gợi ý chính sách để giải quyết những điểm yếu này nhằm khuyến khích phát triển một thị trưởng lao động hiệu quả hơn. Free full text http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/07/24790417/taking-stock-update-vietnams-recent-economic-developments-diem-lai-cap-nhat-tinh-hinh-phat-trien-kinh-te-viet-nam.

Taking stock: an update on Vietnam’s recent economic developments.
World Bank, 2015 July.

Abstract: The semi-annual review of the Vietnamese economy said the growth rate was the nation’s fastest in the first half of the year for the past five years. Against a backdrop of low inflation, the State Bank of Vietnam has gradually loosened monetary policy to spur growth while periodically adjusting the exchange rate to maintain external competitiveness, the report said. At the same time, Vietnam’s fiscal accounts emerge as a source of concern. The nation’s debt has risen rapidly in recent years, and debt servicing costs could pose an increasing burden on the budget. Meanwhile, a drop in exports and increased imports have resulted in current account deficit in the first quarter of 2015. Progress on structural reforms has been less strong, especially regarding state owned enterprises (SOEs) and the banking sector. Progress on SOE reform continues, but at gradual pace, with only 29 SOEs equitized in the first quarter of 2015 out of the annual target of 289. Implementing the legal and regulatory framework for SOE management and corporate governance issued last year and increasing percentage of ownership that can be acquired by the private sector, should remain key priorities. –

The Taking Stock report features a special section on the labor market in Vietnam, which details a dramatic shift in the employment landscape over the past 25 years. While jobs in Vietnam once were characterized entirely by family farming, collectives and SOEs, employment now has shifted toward manufacturing and services, household enterprises outside agriculture, and private domestic and foreign-owned firms. The report notes that labor regulations and institutions can be an important factor in private-sector wage growth. Taking Stock provides suggestions for further transforming Vietnam’s labor market, including more proactive measures to strengthen the industrial relations system, balance labor market flexibility with sustain productivity growth, and manage social risks in a more market-oriented economy. In particular, Taking Stock notes that Vietnam lacks well-functioning institutions for collective bargaining and dispute resolution. The report offers suggestions on ways to addresses these weaknesses and promote a better functioning labor market. Free full text http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/07/24790418/taking-stock-update-vietnams-recent-economic-developments.

Revisiting the construction project failure factors in Vietnam.
Tan Phat Nguyen and Nicholas Chileshe. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 2015, volume 5, number 4.

Purpose: The Vietnam construction industry has considerably developed since 1986 as a result of “Doi Moi” or all-round renovation process. However, despite the pace of economic reforms, a number of challenges continue to plague the construction industry. This study aims to revisit the factors causing construction project failure in Vietnam. Some of the selected best practices from BRICS and CIVETS countries are discussed. –

Design/methodology/approach: Using a mixed method approach, data were collected from construction stakeholders in Vietnam using a postal survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data was subjected to descriptive statistics using ranking and frequencies analysis, and qualitative data employed content analysis.

Findings: Despite the lack of systematic approach to managing projects risks, there is a high level of acknowledgment regarding the importance of risk management practices. The highly ranked critical factors still causing construction project failure in Vietnam are: disregard of the significance of project planning process and project planning; lack of experience in executing complicated project; poor design capacity and frequent design changes; lack of knowledge and ability in managing construction projects; lack of financial capacity of owner; poor performance of contractors; lack of a systematic approach to managing the project and entire organisation; corruption and bribery in construction projects; the delays in payment; and economic volatility and high inflation.

Practical implications: The identified and revisited project failure factors could be used as a ‘road map’ for the revaluation, and development of appropriate project management practices.

Originality/value: The construction sector has undergone through significant structural changes following ‘Doi Moi’. This study provides the opportunity to realign the strategies for addressing project failure factors and learning from comparative studies in BRICS and CIVETS countries.

Education

Determinants of the developmental risk factors in Vietnamese preschool-age children: A cross-sectional survey.
Nguyen Huu Chau Duc. Pediatrics International, 2015.

Abstract:  Background Early childhood development (ECD) strongly influences children’s basic learning, school success, economic participation, social citizenry and health.Although some risk factors related to childhood development are documented, further exploration is necessary considering various socio-demographic, nutritional, and psychosocial factors.This study aims to examine factors affecting ECD in Vietnamese preschoolers.

Methods We used data from the representative, cross-sectional round of theVietnam Multiple Indicator Clusters Survey 2011. Early Childhood Development Index questionnaires were administered to mothers of all children aged 36–59 months in the households (N = 1459). Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were employed in the analysis.

Results In Vietnam, 17.2% of children did not reach their full developmental potential within the first 5 years. Children who had childhood breastfeeding (AOR 2.78, 95% CI 1.28-6.02), pre-school attendance (AOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.28-2.39), major ethnicity (AOR 2.41, 95% CI 1.55-3.74), mother with secondary or higher education (AOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.19-2.38) and had relatives who engaged in four or more activities that promote learning (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.13-2.14) were more likely to have normal developmental trajectory. Furthermore, children who experienced physical punishment and stunting were 0.69 times (95% CI 0.51-0.95) and 0.71 times (95% CI 0.51-0.98) less likely to be on track for ECD, respectively.

Conclusions: The risk factors associated with delayed ECD were the low level of maternal education, the family’s ethnicity, the lack of pre-school attendance, the children’s relative not being engaged in learning, the children’s experiencing physical punishment, not being breastfed and stunting. [wiley].

A Mixed Method Approach Enabling the Triangulation Technique: Case Study in Vietnam.
Vi Hoang Dang. World Journal of Social Science, 2015, volume 2, number 2.

Abstract: An exploratory study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of various key stakeholders about the current vocational education and training (VET) sector in Vietnam using three methods. The quantitative method adopted was a data gathering questionnaire aimed to measure students’ perceptions of the VET sector and identify factors that impact students’ intentions in enrolling and completing VET programs in Vietnam. The qualitative method was then used to explore other views about the VET sector from the students’ parents using the open-ended interviews. The third approach used a nominal group technique to investigate other key stakeholders’ perceptions of Vietnam’s VET sector. Through triangulation, the reliable findings of the research indicated that the “real” issue impacting the VET sector was the relationship between VET providers and industries. This should be considered and researched carefully in the design of a VET curriculum. In addition, this study revealed that a web of influences was created which impacted significantly in both positive and negative ways on the students’ perception of the VET sector. Free full text http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/wjss/article/view/7496.

Environment

Distributed model of hydrological and sediment transport processes in large river basins in Southeast Asia.
S. Zuliziana, K. Tanuma, C. Yoshimura and O. C. Saavedra. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 2015, volume 12, pp. 6755–6797.

Abstract: Soil erosion and sediment transport have been modeled at several spatial and temporal scales, yet few models have been reported for large river basins (e.g., drainage areas > 100 000 km2). In this study, we propose a process-based distributed model for 5 assessment of sediment transport at a large basin scale. A distributed hydrological model was coupled with a process-based distributed sediment transport model describing soil erosion and sedimentary processes at hillslope units and channels. The model was tested on two large river basins: the Chao Phraya River Basin (drainage area: 160 000km2) and the Mekong River Basin (795 000 km2). The simulation over 10 10 years showed good agreement with the observed suspended sediment load in both basins. The average Nash–Sutcli e e ciency (NSE) and average correlation coe cient (r) between the simulated and observed suspended sediment loads were 0.62 and 0.61, respectively, in the Chao Phraya River Basin except the lowland section. In the Mekong River Basin, the overall average NSE and r were 0.60 and 0.78, 15 respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that suspended sediment load is sensitive to detachability by raindrop (k) in the Chao Phraya River Basin and to soil detachability over land (Kf) in the Mekong River Basin. Overall, the results suggest that the present model can be used to understand and simulate erosion and sediment transport in large river basins. Free full text http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/12/6755/2015/hessd-12-6755-2015.pdf.

Dyke design, floodplain restoration and mangrove co-management as parts of an area coastal protection strategy for the mud coasts of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
T. Albers and K. Schmitt. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 2015, pp. 1-14.

Abstract: The dynamic coastlines in the Lower Mekong Delta of Vietnam are threatened by the impacts of climate change, particularly by the increased intensity and frequency of storms and floods, as well as by rising sea levels. The most effective coastal protection systems consist of different elements arranged in series, for instance natural floodplains vegetated with mangroves and a sound dyke line. However, the unsustainable use of natural resources and development in the coastal zone are threatening the protection function of the mangrove forest belt. In sites where severe erosion has destroyed the mangrove belt, restoration of floodplains and mangrove rehabilitation is only possible after the wave energy has been reduced by physical barriers. This can be achieved with bamboo fences, which reduce erosion and stimulate sedimentation. Restoration of the eroded floodplains creates the pre-conditions for rehabilitation of the destroyed mangrove forest. Mangrove management is an important element of an area costal protection strategy. [spr].

Sediment budget as affected by construction of a sequence of dams in the lower Red River, Vietnam.
Xi Xi Lu, Chantha Oeurng, Thi Phuong Quynh Le and Duong Thi Thuy. Geomorphology, 2015.

Abstract: Dam construction is one of the main factors resulting in riverine sediment changes, which in turn cause river degradation or aggradation downstream. The main objective of this work is to examine the sediment budget affected by a sequence of dams constructed upstream in the lower reach of the Red River. The study is based on the longer-term annual data (1960-2010) with a complementary daily water and sediment data set (2008-2010). The results showed that the stretch of the river changed from sediment surplus (suggesting possible deposition processes) into sediment deficit (possible erosion processes) after the first dam (Thac Ba dam) was constructed in 1972 and changed back to deposition after the second dam (Hoa Binh dam) was constructed in 1985. The annual sediment deposition varied between 1.9 Mt/y and 46.7 Mt/y with an annual mean value of 22.9 Mt/y (1985-2010). The sediment deposition at the lower reach of the Red River would accelerate river aggradation which would change river channel capacity in the downstream of the Red River. The depositional processes could be sustained or changed back to erosional processes after more dams (the amount of sediment deposit was much less after the latest two dams Tuyen Quang dam in 2009 and Sonla dam in 2010) are constructed, depending on the water and sediment dynamics. This study revealed that the erosional and depositional processes could be shifted for the same stretch of river as affected by a sequence of dams and provides useful insights in river management in order to reduce flood frequency along the lower reach of the Red River. [sci].

Study of the Climate Change Impacts on Water Quality in the Upstream Portion of the Cau River Basin, Vietnam.
HaNgoc Hien, BuiHuy Hoang, TranThi Huong, TranThanh Than, PhamThiThu Ha and others. Environmental Modeling & Assessment, 2015, pp. 1-17.

Abstract: This paper presents simulations of climate change impacts on water quality in the upstream portion of the Cau River Basin in the North of Vietnam. The integrated modeling system GIBSI was used to simulate hydrological processes, pollutant and sediment wash-off in the river basin, and pollutant transport and transformation in the river network. Three projections for climate change based on emission scenarios B1, B2, and A2 of IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) were considered. By assuming that the input pollution sources and watershed configuration were constant, based on 2008 data, water quality in the river network was simulated up to the terminal year 2050. For each climate change scenario, patterns of precipitation in wet and dry year were considered. The change in annual and monthly trends for dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and ammonium ions (NH4+) load and concentration for different portions of the watershed have been analyzed. The results of these simulations show that climate change has more impact on changing the seasonal water quality parameters than on altering the average annual load of the pollutants. The percent change and change pattern in water quality parameters are different for wet and dry year, and the changes in wet year are smaller than those in dry year. [spr].

Using Shoreline Video Assessment for coastal planning and restoration in the context of climate change in Kien Giang, Vietnam.
Chu Van Cuong, Michael Russell, Sharon Brown and Peter Dart. Ocean Science Journal, 2015, volume 50, number 2, pp. 413-432.

Abstract: Kien Giang, bordering Cambodia in the Mekong River Delta, is one of the two most vulnerable provinces in the region to coastal erosion and flooding. Coastal protection can conflict with current land use and economic development activities. The conditions of the mangrove forest and mainland coastline of the Kien Giang province were assessed using the Shoreline Video Assessment Method (SVAM) backed up with information from satellite images. Half of the 206 km Kien Giang coastline has been eroded or is being eroded. Protective mangrove forests naturally occurred in 74% of the coastline but have been under threat from illegal cutting, erosion and coastal retreat. Accurate information on the state of the coastline and mangrove forest health provided invaluable data for developing a new coastal rehabilitation plan to guard against future sea level rise. In contrast to the current boundary management of land and natural resources, this plan divided the provincial coastline into 19 sections based on the landscape condition and exposure to erosion. Priority strategic actions for erosion management, mangrove restoration and sustainable livelihood development for local communities for each section of coast were developed based on an integrated cross sectoral approach and practical experience in the Conservation and Development of the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve Project. [spr].

The sediment load and deposition by river discharge and their relation to organochlorine pesticides pollutants in the sediment bottom of Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam.
HoangTrung Du and Andreas Kunzmann. Ocean Science Journal, 2015, volume 50, number 2, pp. 455-466.

Abstract: Based on previous results from the “River reef impact studies project that was carried out as a co-operation programme between ZMT (Germany) and NIO (Vietnam) from 2008–2012, the variation of sediment load and associated persistent organic pollutants were investigated in Nha Trang Bay. In northern parts of the bay, both suspended matter load and deposition rates are high during the rainy season (flood events). The total suspended matter (TSM) and particulate nitrogen (PN) concentration show variations both with season (dry and rainy seasons) and increasing distances from the coast: TSM ranged from 2.30 to 19.79 mgL-1; and PN concentration ranged from 0.006 to 0.055 mgL-1. High deposition rates occurred both near the shore and in mid-bay, ranging from 12.8 to 36.1 g m-2 d-1. In the southern section of the bay, sediment deposition was slightly lower, with little seasonal variation. The highest deposition rate was measured at the river estuarine site, amounting to 9.1 g m-2 d-1 (dry season) and 9.0 g m-2 d-1 (rainy season). Further, persistent organic pollutants (POP) concentrations in sediment samples and sediment cores clearly showed the presence of organo-chlorine pesticides (OCP pollutant). High accumulation levels of OCP components were found in almost all sediment samples of Nha Trang Bay. The DDT concentrations showed high levels in sediment located in the estuary at the northern part of the bay (ranged: 20.11µg kg-1 to 5.28µg kg-1), and in the southern part (B1) 3.76µg kg-1. This study provides essential data and information, which are needed to assess the long-term impacts of river input on the degradation of marine ecosystems in the coastal waters of Nha Trang Bay. [spr].

Vertical distribution of dioxins in soil of Bien Hoa airbase, Vietnam.
Dang Thuong Huyen, Toshifumi Igarashi and Takuya Shiraiwa. SpringerPlus, 2015, volume 4, p. 300.

Abstract: Bien Hoa airbase is a known dioxin-contaminated hotspot in Vietnam. The contamination occurred during the Vietnam War at the site where dioxins were transported, stored, sprayed, and spilled in the area. Dioxins, which are cancer inducing substances, may transfer from the soil to food crops and finally to human beings living around the area. Many surveys of dioxins in soil, water, organisms, and human have been carried out in this study area since 2002. In this paper vertical distribution of dioxins in undisturbed soil cores were examined. Twelve soil samples from three drilled cores were collected to analyze dioxin levels according to the standard Japanese analytical method. The results showed that the toxicity equivalency quantity (TEQ) in one soil sample at a depth of 2.6 m reached 3,300 pg-TEQ/g-dw. High TEQs were also observed in the clay layer. This anomaly of dioxin concentrations could be attributed to the affinity of dioxins for the clay layer. The isomer patterns in the soils were different from those in the soil of Hokkaido in that 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was the most dominant in the soil sample. This indicates that the dioxins originate from a defoliant Agent Orange disposed at the site after the Vietnam War.  [spr].

Governance

Liveable streets in Hanoi: A principal component analysis.
Peter Sanders, Mark Zuidgeest and Karst Geurs. Habitat International, 2015, volume 49, pp. 547-558.

Abstract: Liveability along four streets in Hanoi, Vietnam is assessed. Hanoi is a rapidly growing metropolis characterised by high levels of personal motorized traffic. Two high traffic volume streets and two low traffic volume streets were studied using a mixed methods approach, combining the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on traffic volumes and liveability perceptions of its residents. The research methodology for this study revisits part of the well-known Liveable Streets study for San Francisco by Appleyard et al. (1981). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) shows that residents on both low traffic volume streets experience less traffic hazard and stress, including noise and air pollution, than neighbouring high traffic volume streets. In line with Appleyard, the study shows that low traffic volume streets were rated more liveable than high traffic volume streets. In contrast to Appleyard, however, the study also shows that traffic volumes are not correlated with social interaction, feeling of privacy and sense of home, which is likely caused by the high levels of collectivism typical for Vietnam. Finally, the study indicates a strong residential neighbourhood type dissonance, where a mismatch exists between preferences for living in peaceful and quiet streets and the actual home location of residents. [sci].

Applying a Systematic Review to Land Use Land Cover Change in Northern Upland Vietnam: The Missing Case of the Borderlands.
Thi-Thanh-Hien Pham, Sarah Turner and Kate Trincsi. Geographical Research, 2015.

Abstract: As Vietnam embraces the market economy, and a number of state policies promote reforestation and rural market integration, land use and land cover (LULC) changes are occurring in the country’s northern uplands in increasingly complex and fragmented ways. Yet understandings of the degree and consequences of LULC changes in this diverse agro-ecological region are incomplete. We conduct a systematic literature review of research reported in academic articles tracing and analysing LULC change in Vietnam’s northern regions. We find that these studies have tended to take place away from the most mountainous, northern borderlands. The studies nonetheless highlight a diversity of land use land cover changes caused by numerous causes, making the distinction of overall trends difficult. To complement and extend this body of research, we introduce recent LULC change research we have completed in the mountainous border districts of Lào Cai province, on the Sino-Vietnamese border. The heterogeneity of causes of LULC change in both the review articles and our case study points to the importance of adapting land use policies to local agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions and ethnic diversity, taking into account state–farmer relations, household livelihood decision-making, and policy implementation at the commune and district levels. [wiley].

Health care

Practices around the use of masks and respirators among hospital health care workers in 3 diverse populations.
Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, C. Raina MacIntyre, Muhammad Orooj Ashraf, Yang Zheng, Peng Yang and others. American Journal of Infection Control, 2015.

Abstract: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 89 secondary- and tertiary-level hospitals in 3 countries, and samples of masks and respirators were also collected and examined. Results showed varied practices around the use of masks and respirators, which are probably influenced by the available resources and local recommendations. Nonstandardized practices are common in low-resource settings, which may be placing health care workers at risk. [sci].

Acceptability and Feasibility of Delivering Pentavalent Vaccines in a Compact, Prefilled, Autodisable Device in Vietnam and Senegal.
Elise Guillermet, Hamadou M. Dicko, Le Thi Phuong Mai, Mamadou N’Diaye, Fatoumata Hane and others. PLoS ONE, 2015, volume 10, number 7, p. e0132292.

BACKGROUND: Prefilled syringes are the standard in developed countries but logistic and financial barriers prevent their widespread use in developing countries. The current study evaluated use of a compact, prefilled, autodisable device (CPAD) to deliver pentavalent vaccine by field actors in Senegal and Vietnam.

METHODS: We conducted a logistic, programmatic, and anthropological study that included a) interviews of immunization staff at different health system levels and parents attending immunization sessions; b) observation of immunization sessions including CPAD use on oranges; and c) document review.

RESULTS: Respondents perceived that the CPAD would improve safety by being non-reusable and preventing needle and vaccine exposure during preparation. Preparation was considered simple and may reduce immunization time for staff and caretakers. CPAD impact on cold storage requirements depended on the current pentavalent vaccine being used; in both countries, CPAD would reduce the weight and volume of materials and safety boxes thereby potentially improving outreach strategies and waste disposal. CPAD also would reduce stock outages by bundling vaccine and syringes and reduce wastage by using a non-breakable plastic presentation. Respondents also cited potential challenges including ability to distinguish between CPAD and other pharmaceuticals delivered via a similar mechanism (such as contraceptives), safety, and concerns related to design and ease of administration (such as activation, ease of delivery, and needle diameter and length).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to current pentavalent vaccine presentations in Vietnam and Senegal, CPAD technology will address some of the main barriers to vaccination, such as supply chain issues and safety concerns among health workers and families. Most of the challenges we identified can be addressed with health worker training, minor design modifications, and health messaging targeting parents and communities. Potentially the largest remaining barrier is the marginal increase in pentavalent cost – if any – from CPAD use, which we did not assess in our study. Free full text http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0132292.

Past and new challenges for malaria control and elimination: the role of operational research for innovation in designing interventions.
Philippe Guyant, Vincent Corbel, Philippe J Guérin, Adeline Lautissier, François Nosten and others. Malaria Journal, 2015, volume 14.

Abstract: This meeting report presents the outcomes of a workshop held in Bangkok on December 1st 2014, where the following challenges were discussed: the threat of resistance to artemisinin and artemisinin-based combination therapy in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and in Africa; access to treatment for most at risk and hard to reach population; insecticide resistance, residual and outdoors transmission. The role of operational research and the interactions between research institutions, National Malaria Control Programmes, Civil Society Organizations, and of financial and technical partners to address those challenges and to accelerate translation of research into policies and programmes were debated. The threat and the emergency of the artemisinin resistance spread and independent emergence in the GMS was intensely debated as it is now close to the border of India. The need for key messages, based on scientific evidence and information available and disseminated without delay, was highlighted as crucial for an effective and urgent response. Free full text http://www.malariajournal.com/content/14/1/279.

Vietnamese Health Care Providers’ Preferences Regarding Recommendation of HPV Vaccines.
Gladys B Asiedu, Carmen Radecki Breitkopf, Walter K Kremers, Quang V Ngo, Nguyen V Nguyen and others. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 2015, volume 16, number 12, pp. 4895-900.

Abstract: Physician recommendation is an important predictor of HPV vaccine acceptance; however, physician willingness and preferences regarding HPV vaccination may be influenced by factors including patient age, vaccine type, and cost. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of health care providers in Da Nang, Vietnam, to evaluate awareness, perceptions about HPV and HPV vaccines, and willingness to vaccinate a female patient. Willingness to vaccinate was evaluated using a full-factorial presentation of scenarios featuring the following factors: vaccine cost (free vs 1,000,000 VND), patient age (12, 16, or 22 years), and HPV vaccine type (bivalent vs quadrivalent). Responses from 244 providers were analyzed; providers had a mean age of 34 ± 11.9 years; a majority were female, married, and had children of their own. Thirty-six percent specialized in obstetrics/gynecology and 24% were providers in family medicine. Of the three factors considered in conjoint analysis, vaccine cost was the most important factor in willingness to vaccinate, followed by patient age, and vaccine type. The most favorable scenario for vaccinating a female patient was when the vaccine was free, the patient was 22 years of age, and the HPV4 vaccine was described. In multivariable analysis, older age, being a physician, being married, and having children were all associated with increased willingness to recommend HPV vaccination (p<0.05). Provider willingness is an important aspect of successful HPV vaccination programs; identifying preferences and biases in recommendation patterns will highlight potential areas for education and intervention. Free full text http://www.apocpcontrol.org/page/apjcp_issues_view.php?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:26163611&key=2015.16.12.4895.

Current status of the legal framework regarding nursing in Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.
Toyomitsu Tamura, Miwa Sonoda, Chiyoko Hashimoto, Mayumi Hashimoto, Noriko Mochizuki and others. Kokusai Hoken Iryo (Journal of International Health), 2015, volume 30, number 2, pp. 87-92.

Background:  The Millennium Development Goals were put forth to strengthen maternal and child health, and because infectious disease has become a trend in the world, ensuring the quality and quantity of nursing is important. We report on a survey detailing the current status of legal frameworks and qualification systems in nursing in four countries: Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Myanmar, and Vietnam.

Method:  We conducted a semi-structured interview with nursing administrative officers, and then we confirmed those information in their countries in 2012 and 2013. We categorized the existing nursing legal framework, nursing qualification systems, professional association and council.

Results:  The King of Cambodia stipulated to a royal decree, which was established by the nursing council. In Lao PDR, following the Law on Health Care, two nursing and midwifery related regulations were developed. The Union of Myanmar enacted the Nurse and Midwife Law. In Vietnam following the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, two Circulars were issued by the Ministry of Health to regulate the scope of practices and norms. We report on the current situation of the qualification and registration systems for nursing of each country. In addition, the development of qualifications and regulations should be reported based on the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

Conclusion:  We conducted a comparison of four countries to ensure the quality of nursing. A challenge for the future is compliance and dissemination of the laws and regulations that have been developed. ASEAN MRA has become a driving force for improvement of these legal systems. Free full text https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaih/30/2/30_87/_article.

Integrated clinical and quality improvement coaching in Son La Province, Vietnam: a model of building public sector capacity for sustainable HIV care delivery.
Lisa A. Cosimi, Huong V. Dam, Thai Q. Nguyen, Huyen T. Ho, Phuong T. Do and others. BMC Health Services Research, 2015, volume 15.

Background: The global scale-up of antiretroviral therapy included extensive training and onsite support to build the capacity of HIV health care workers. However, traditional efforts aimed at strengthening knowledge and skills often are not successful at improving gaps in the key health systems required for sustaining high quality care.

Methods: We trained and mentored existing staff of the Son La provincial health department and provincial HIV clinic to work as a provincial coaching team (PCT) to provide integrated coaching in clinical HIV skills and quality improvement (QI) to the HIV clinics in the province. Nine core indicators were measured through chart extraction by clinic and provincial staff at baseline and at 6 month intervals thereafter. Coaching from the team to each of the clinics, in both QI and clinical skills, was guided by results of performance measurements, gap analyses, and resulting QI plans.

Results: After 18 months, the PCT had successfully spread QI activities, and was independently providing regular coaching to the provincial general hospital clinic and six of the eight district clinics in the province. The frequency and type of coaching was determined by performance measurement results. Clinics completed a mean of five QI projects. Quality of HIV care was improved throughout all clinics with significant increases in seven of the indicators. Overall both the PCT activities and clinic performance were sustained after integration of the model into the Vietnam National QI Program.

Conclusions: We successfully built capacity of a team of public sector health care workers to provide integrated coaching in both clinical skills and QI across a province. The PCT is a feasible and effective model to spread and sustain quality activities and improve HIV care services in a decentralized rural setting. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/s12913-015-0935-8.pdf.

Energy

The Effects of Electricity Grid Expansion on Households- Evidence from Vietnam: Poster Paper.
Semee Yoon and Hyelim Son. 37th Annual APPAM (Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management) Fall Research Conference 12 – 14 November 2015 Hyatt Regency Miami Florida.

Abstract: This paper aims to analyze and quantify the impact of electricity grid expansion on household income and individual labor participation among Vietnamese population using nationally representative panel surveys, remote sensing data, and geographic variables. In 1995, the Vietnamese government passed a national law on rural electrification, and household electricity connectivity increased from 13.9% to 96% from 1990 to 2010. To overcome the lack of publicly accessible data on electrification, yearly nightlights are used to measure electrification at the commune level. The slope of the terrain is used to identify the causal impact of electrification. Despite the consensus that electricity is beneficial for economic development, the evidence of infrastructural improvement on household economics is still limited due to the difficulty in finding the exogenous variable and accurate welfare measures. This study, with respect to Vietnam’s experience of central electricity grid expansion, mainly through hydropower, allows the matching of better quality household data with rich outcomes variables, which would contribute to the growing literature on the impact of infrastructure on microeconomic development. Results indicate that individual occupational changes from agriculture to tertiary sectors are not immediate, but household income increases with electrification. Moreover, electrification significantly decreases female labor participation and increases children’s school enrollment.

Institutional change and market conditions for low-carbon electricity transition in Vietnam.
Hoang Anh Nguyen Trinh and Yorgos Rizopoulos. Our Common Future under Climate Change (CFCC), 2015.

Abstract: The paper develops a mesoeconomic approach to the low-carbon electricity transition in Vietnam. We argue that political will is a necessary but insufficient condition for such a change. In this perspective, we identify key players, and point out the institutional and structural characteristics of the electricity market which may impede the take-off of renewable resources. Indeed, the transition process depends on interdependent organizational decisions and implies a fundamental transformation of the stakeholders’ positions and relations. In particular, it necessitates the existence of a critical mass of initiating actors that perceive the benefits of investing in renewables and have the leverage to redefine the rules of the game, therefore modifying the institutional framework and enabling the constitution of new structural interdependencies inside the electricity system. During the current period, the conditions of the wholesale market appear as a determining factor in relation to the pace of the low-carbon transition. Then, we propose an analytical grid to apprehend the change path by following the trend in some focal variables. Among others, feed-in tariff and subsidies to the single-buyer indicate the balance of power between the major stakeholders and reflect the stages of the transition process. Free full text https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01176805/document.

Social welfare

Laborer Status and the Effect of Vocational Training on Employment and Income of Rural Laborers in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam.
Nguyen Quang Tuyen. Global Journal of human-social science: E Economics, 2015, volume 15, number 4.

Abstract: The results of this study show that Kien Giang has an abundant youth laborer force; 43% of laborers are between the ages 15 to 29, most of whom are involved in the handicraft sector and non-agriculture wage employment, while most laborers aging between 45 and 60 are involved in agricultural work. However, laborers had a difficult time finding jobs after participating in career training because the quality of training was not high and because the duration of training was short. Of those being trained, 51% received training in industrial and construction professions. Free full text http://www.socialscienceresearch.org/index.php/GJHSS/article/download/1424/1365.

Building strong foundations for later livelihoods by addressing child poverty: evidence from Young Lives.
Paul Dornan and Kirrily Pells. Enterprise Development & Microfinance, 2015, volume 26, number 2, pp. 90-103.

Abstract: Improving children’s life chances is central to development in low- and middle-income countries. Half the population of sub-Saharan Africa are aged 18 or younger, and young people comprise nearly half of all people living in extreme poverty worldwide. Poverty undermines not only children’s rights to life, survival, and development, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but also the skills and capabilities that fastchanging economies need for future growth. By extension, given poverty is a key mechanism shaping later chances, eradicating it is key to improving equality of opportunity. This article presents longitudinal analysis on inequities in children’s development trajectories, drawing on data from the Young Lives cohort study. Young Lives is following the lives of 12,000 children growing up in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. The article’s central questions are to understand how, why, and when inequalities become established through childhood. We explore how children and young people’s trajectories diverge over time; and we provide preliminary findings on education, nutrition, and youth transitions to higher education, work, and marriage and parenthood, from the latest survey round. We find that the poorest children, those in rural areas and/or from marginalized social groups, are consistently being ‘left behind’ in terms of nutritional status, learning, and opportunities to continue in education. We conclude by considering how policy interventions at different stages of the early life-course can mitigate the development of such inequalities.

Children’s Wellbeing in East and Southeast Asia: A Preliminary Comparison.
Esther Cho. Social Indicators Research, 2015, volume 123, number 1, pp. 183-201.

Abstract: Much progress has been made recently in expanding the literature on international comparison of children’s wellbeing. Nevertheless, most studies are skewed toward western or European countries, with the Asian nations rarely included. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap by conducting an exploratory comparison of children’s wellbeing in East and Southeast Asian countries. A multidimensional approach is adopted by analyzing material wellbeing, health, educational wellbeing, behavior, environment, and psychosocial wellbeing, together with their associated components and indicators. All countries are ranked according to their overall child wellbeing indices, including and excluding the dimension of psychosocial wellbeing. The results show that Japan, Korea, and Singapore perform best while Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia do less well in terms of children’s wellbeing. Various issues, including the paucity of data, are discussed as items to be considered in the agenda for future research.

Tourism

Addressing the threats to tourism sustainability using systems thinking: a case study of Cat Ba Island, Vietnam.
Thanh Mai and Carl Smith. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2015, pp. 1-25.

Abstract: Tourism is a dynamically complex system. Planning for sustainability is therefore difficult because past system behaviour is often not a good indicator of future behaviour. Despite this, tourism planning is mainly based on forecasting methods that rely on historical data to predict future trends with the assumption that tomorrow’s world will be much like today’s. To properly manage dynamically complex systems it is necessary to understand the underlying system structures that influence current as well as future system behaviour. This is the domain of systems thinking, which is not a forecasting method, rather a method used to understand the feedback mechanisms that influence system behaviour over time. This study describes the link between tourism development and systems thinking theory, and uses this to identify underlying systems structures likely to influence tourism development and sustainability within Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. We show that current policies promoting rapid tourism growth on Cat Ba Island are likely to be fixes that fail due to unintended consequences that ultimately undermine sustainability. To ensure sustainability, the policy focus must switch from growth to planning for limits to growth before tourism carrying capacity is undermined, which could ultimately lead to tourism decline. [tf].

Trade

ASEAN and Regional Free Trade Agreements.
Christopher Findlay. Routledge, 2015.

Abstract: Efforts to use existing trade agreements to build a larger regional agreement face many challenges. This book considers this problem with reference to ASEAN’s current agreements with key partners and the interest to build the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The analysis of the options is framed by a focus on the use of supply chains in international business. Issues considered include those related to reductions in tariffs, trade facilitation, the treatment of investment and of services and the definition of rules of origin. The work is informed by case studies of supply chains in automobile and electronics, and in a professional service sector. The book provides a set of priority actions for better progress in taking a bottom-up approach to building RCEP.

Combining Simulation with Optimization to Evaluate Freight Logistics Performances for Developing a Corridor.
Sirasak Tepjit and Thaynyawan Chanpanit. in: Toward Sustainable Operations of Supply Chain and Logistics Systems, Springer, 2015.

Abstract: The chapter presents an evaluation of freight logistics performances and recommends policy on logistics facility and related transport infrastructure investment along the corridor that links between Laem Chabang Port in Thailand and Port of Vung Ang in Vietnam via Laos PDR. A dry port and its transportation links to the seaport have been proposed for investment. There are five nominal routes within the network where an origin is located over the dry port hinterland and Guangzhou Port in China PDR is a destination. The combination of simulation model and goal programming has been applied to evaluate the corridor in terms of freight logistics operational performance. A discrete event model visualizes the desirable system. The weighted goal programming is used to find an optimal route. Finally, the policy prioritizes that investment must be made for the dry port and the connection to Laem Chabang Port by direct rail link. In order to encourage the dry port to be part of the network, the desirable logistics system requires overall transit cost should be around US$1100. Quality of services for on time performance should be maintained around 320 hours of total transit with 21 hours of traveling time variance and 54 hours of operation time variance. [spr].

Đọc bài của bác Michael J. Totten trên World Affairs có đoạn kết hay phết:

 … people all over the world have no idea how huge Vietnam is. It’s not a wide spot in the road we can ignore. It’s the 13th largest country on earth and it has an enormous military, economic, and strategic capacity. It should not be ignored, but it is. And our blind spot—if we aren’t careful—could create a vacuum that’s filled by someone or something that we do not like.

Lại nhớ đến đợt báo chí thi nhau bình chuyện của Việt Nam to hay nhỏ 🙂

Người nông dân đang băn khoăn làm sao có thể nhai hết mớ này. Cũng tại mấy anh giáo trích dẫn cụ Mác nhiều quá!

Lão bạn chỉ điểm cho chỗ này: Reading Marx's Capital with David Harvey

Để coi nghe đọc có hiểu được không hay phải nhá bằng tiếng mẹ đẻ nào!

Hôm nay vào Facebook vớ được cái link chia sẻ hay! Bài tổng lược rất tốt về giáo dục ở miền Nam trước năm 1975. Đúng hơn là 1945-1975.

Ai quan tâm, xin mời >>

Territorialization là một concept phải gặm dần 🙂 Truy một hồi thì cũng tạm quy ra tiếng Việt được. Có mấy khái niệm liên quan luôn:

• Territorialization: Lãnh thổ hóa
• Deterritorialization: Phi lãnh thổ hóa
• Reterritorialization: Tái lãnh thổ hóa

Phải đọc lại ý tưởng của bạn Peter Vandergeest – có tóm tắt đây rồi …

"Lãnh thổ hóa" và nhiều khái niệm liên quan được đề cập đến một cuốn được nhiều bác khuyến nghị đọc có bìa như trên. Hiện vẫn chưa thấy bản preview trên Google Books.