Lower Mekong Food Security Database

Project Information

The fact that Vietnam’s Northwestern mountainous region inhabits many minority groups and is bordered with Laos and China results in its distinguishing social condition. Although Vietnam has been successful accomplishing the market economy, this region has been left behind and has one of the highest poverty rates due to poor accessibility and administrative services. The provincial governments in the region have established their respective Socio-Economic Development Plans, and sector development programs.

However, most of them have neither reflected the regional development strategies nor are their plans consistent with adjacent provinces. As a result, it is not possible to establish a well-balanced overall development policy in the region. To fully address this problem, a MP study on the improvement of rural living conditions covering the whole region was conducted.

The objectives of the study included the following:

• Formulating the Master Plan to reduce poverty and improve rural living conditions in the Northwestern Mountainous Region
• Formulating Action Plans for the priority projects which are to be selected in the process of Master Plan formulation; and
• Carrying out technical transfer of development plan formulation to the counterpart organization staff.

Complementary Information

Gender issues was considered in the poverty analysis. Additionally, the master plan also included various supports for ethnic minorities and women based on the results of precedent and on-going poverty reduction programs.

Project Locations

Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Lao Cai, Son La