Relationship between poverty and environment issues in Tam giang –TT Hue province

1. Relationship between poverty and environment issues in Tam giang –TT Hue province • Lam Thi Thu Suu • Centre of Social Sciences and Humanity (CSSH) • Hue College of Science • Supported by RCSD

2. Thua Thien Hue map

5. Objectives To investigate the actual relationship between poverty and environment issues in Tam Giang lagoon To map out the practical measures to improve livelihood and reduce poverty

6. Methodology • Sustainable Livelihood Analysis, to understand livelihood and poverty as well as the interrelateness of the factors • PRA, CBCRM : • Put people in the centre

7. Livelihood activities • Natural fishing and shrimp farming

9. Assets to sustain fishing • Credit: Banks, Women’s Union, rich individuals, unofficial saving practice (saving game) • Social connection within community (neighbors, women in market..) • Human resource : • experience in fishing, • bad health (gynecological inflammation, worm, intestine)

10. Natural asset • (OECD 2005) Natural stock from which resource flows useful for livelihood • Vinh Ha: 6.300 ha (half land, half water ground) many fish and shrimp move in and down to the lagoon Sediment, sand, mud, vegetation cover for development of aquatic habitats >100 species found in VHa,

12. Shrimp farming • Big programme, Early 90s : 150.000 ton for 10 year export worth 1.5 billion USD • Many ponds constructed down in the lagoon, rice fields converted into ponds • Borrow loan from bank for shrimp, rich family selling seedling, buying product shrimps, • Be provided with technical training disease, failure – dilemma?

13. Shrimp ponds

14. Environmental problems • Natural resource degrading seriously “before 1975 catch fish by hands because they swim under legs and around boats” now 1-2 kg/night/family” Pollution – also a cause of resource degradation Decrease of bio – diversity (species disappear) because no habitats due to pond and dike construction... Climate change : too many floods and typhoon happening in a year with serious impacts (floods cause fresh water in the lagoon, no marine fish migrate in,

15. Poverty • World bank’s measurement and definition • VN Gov’s measurement : 200.000 – 280.000 VND/month/ person, • ADB (2007): (General poor) not only income and expenditure But also ability to get access to resource and service, level of empowerment, participation of decision making Vinh Ha’s measurement: no more than one fishing gear, no house on land, three dependent children, debt >10 million VND

16. Poverty situation in Vinh Ha • =>701/2010 hh are poor: • Temporary house, or on boat • No toilet, furniture, gas cooker, motorbike • Income : 20.000 VND = 1.3 USD • Debt : 15-50 million VND • No land • No clean water • Little education • Difficult to access to healthcare

17. Poverty and environment link • Environmental problems are the main cause of poverty • The poor tend to have less ability to deal with pollution, • They are less resistant to the problems caused by pollution such as health problem, resource degradation • => What do you think is the key to improve their livelihood?

18. Empowerment ? • To have capability to • manage resources in sustainable ways =>Better natural resource management is a key for livelihood improvement and poverty reduction. In addition, when they have capability , they will be able to • deal with shock and stress in vulnerability context - get access to services to build livelihood

19. Thank you My work will continue