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VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES LE MANH HUNG LIVELIHOOD OF KHMU PEOPLE IN THE RESETTLEMENT SITE OF THANH CHUONG DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE Major: Anthropology Code: 31 03 02 DOCTORAL THESIS FOR ANTHROPOLOGY Ha Noi 2021 This study is conducted at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences Supervisors: Dr Dao Thi Minh Huong Assoc Prof Dr Pham Quang Hoan Reviewer 1: Assoc Prof Dr Lam Ba Nam Reviewer 2: Assoc Prof Dr Le Ngoc Thang Reviewer 3: Prof Dr Tran Trung The thesis will be defended at Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences’s Committee, 447 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi At ….hour…….minutes, date……… month……year 2021 Can be found at: - Academy of Social Sciences’s Library - Vietnam National Library PREAMBLE The urgency of the subject Over the past decades, migration and resettlement in development projects have raised many economic, environmental, cultural and social issues that need to be addressed, including ensuring livelihoods and livelihoods Sustainable design for the affected community is one of the top concerns not only of policy makers but also academic researchers The construction of hydropower projects in mountainous areas of Vietnam has made an important contribution to water storage and power supply for the country's socio-economic development However, that construction process had to take away a very large area of land from people in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas - where people have low incomes, high poverty rates and are vulnerable in many ways There have been many studies on resettlement from different angles, analyzing quite clearly the impacts of resettlement programs in terms of environment, poverty, cultural preservation However, one the issue of less concern is how the people displaced by resettlement programs will adapt to the new circumstances and living conditions, what factors hinder and help them get a livelihood Sustainability has not received much attention, especially from the perspective of Anthropology The livelihood activities of the ethnic groups are always associated with a specific ecological environment and the way of life has been shaped for a long time in history, so livelihood can be considered as a component of ethnic culture Resettlement to hydropower has moved people to a new place of residence, so this policy has contributed to changing the livelihood, culture and society of the ethnic people by changing the conditions of the natural environment and society In fact, compensation and support for resettlement have been invested much by the State and resettled people have also benefited from the project due to the compensation and aids However, compensation and support policies often focus on land, finance, etc., but pay little attention to ethnic cultural factors, making the goals of poverty reduction, economic development, etc cultural preservation, or “life in the new place is at least equal to or better than the old one” has not achieved the desired results The Khmu people in the resettlement sites in Thanh Chuong district are residents from Tuong Duong district of Nghe An province who have just moved in over the past 10 years, they are the people who have to resettle to recover for the construction of Ban Ve hydropower plant Traditionally, these people often live in communities with long-standing customs and culture The relocation of them away from their familiar places of residence has affected people's economy, society and culture in many ways The contents and forms of impact are very rich and diverse, both positive and negative The livelihood resources have many changes, besides traditional livelihood activities, there are also other activities new livelihoods due to resettlement impacts For the above reasons, the thesis has chosen the topic of research on the livelihood of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, thereby wishing to analyze the current situation of livelihoods as a basis for recognition livelihood change of a resettled ethnic minority community The results in the thesis will contribute to useful references for researchers, experts in economic and social policy making The data mentioned in the thesis will contribute as a basis to clarify the development perspective for ethnic minorities in the highlands, especially policies on resettlement and livelihoods of ethnic minorities Thereby, the thesis also contributes to providing more theoretical and practical issues on livelihoods, livelihood change and adaptation of people after resettlement to the community of residents in mountainous areas of Vietnam South, especially the ethnic minorities Purpose and research tasks of the thesis 2.1 Research purpose of the thesis The purpose of the thesis is to find out the current situation and changes of livelihood resources and livelihood activities of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province; thereby clarifying the livelihood adaptation and proposing some solutions towards sustainable livelihood development for the Khmu people in the resettlement place 2.2 Research tasks of the thesis - Systematizing theory, analysis framework on livelihoods, research on Khmu people and resettlement - Understanding the livelihood resources of the Khmu before and after resettlement - Presenting and analyzing livelihood activities before and after resettlement to see the change in livelihoods in different living environments of the ethnic group - Clarifying the adaptation in terms of livelihood and proposes some recommendations towards sustainable livelihood development for the Khmu at the resettlement site Research object and scope of the thesis 3.1 Research object of the thesis The research object of the thesis is the livelihood of the resettled Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province 3.2 Research scope of the thesis - On time: Livelihood of Khmu people after resettlement (2006) in Thanh Chuong, Nghe An until 2019 - On location: The study was carried out in the resettlement site of the Khmu people in Thanh Son and Ngoc Lam communes of Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province In which, Thanh Son commune was selected as the main research site of the thesis because most of the resettled Khmu people live in this commune Methodology and research methods of the thesis 4.1 Methodology 4.1.1 Marxism-Leninism The thesis is based on the philosophical point of view of dialectical materialism and historical materialism to recognize and analyze how the Khmu people behave with the natural and social environment in their livelihood activities Although the issue of resettlement is identified as the research objective, the thesis does not consider it as an independent element but is placed in the cultural, social and historical context of the Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district, the province Nghe An, as well as in the relationship with the community of other ethnic groups to consider and evaluate 4.1.2 Ho Chi Minh Thought and the views of the Party and the State The thesis is based on Ho Chi Minh's thought and the views of the Communist Party and the State of Vietnam on ethnic policies and socioeconomic development orientation of Nghe An province and Thanh Chuong district as a basis for analyzing biological of the Khmu people at the resettlement site 4.2 Research Methods 4.2.1 Method of data collection Collecting secondary data: During the research process, documents related to the topic were collected, namely: guidelines and policies of the Party and State, decisions of local authorities on migration and resettlement in hydropower projects in general and resettlement in Ban Ve hydropower plant in particular Documents on livelihoods, sustainable livelihoods, resettlement, Khmu people, program evaluation reports of organizations/scientists, the media Ethnographic fieldwork: The thesis chooses a traditional research method in ethnology/anthropology that is ethnographic fieldwork in the settlements/villages of the Khmu people after resettlement in Thanh district Chuong, Nghe An province The field data collection tools of the thesis are: 1) Participating observation: In order to collect information, the PhD student participated in eating, living, working with local people, experiencing their daily life, thereby having observation conditions directly and experience the culture as well as learn about the livelihood capital sources and livelihood activities of the people: 2) In-depth interviews: The thesis has conducted 35 in-depth interviews with individuals of different groups in the resettlement community and officials at commune and district levels The method of oral history has been used a lot in this thesis to learn about people's life stories, in which life experiences and livelihood activities before and after resettlement residence: 3) Group discussion: The thesis has conducted group discussions (including group of 02 women, 02 groups of men, 02 mixed groups of men and women, 01 group of commune and village officials, 01 mixed group of people people and officials) in the community Through group discussions, the thesis author can quickly detect the problems of livelihood resources and livelihood activities of the resettled Khmu people and propose policy solutions as well as specific solutions to help people have more sustainable livelihood activities 4) Direct observation: Besides the main data collected and observed through ethnographic fieldwork in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, the author of the thesis also had the opportunity to fill out wild in the villages of the Khmu people through different times (from 2004 to 2019) and in many locations such as Nghe An, Dien Bien, Son La of Vietnam; Luang Phra Bang, Udomxay (Laos); Yunnan (China) Through those field trips, the author of the thesis directly observed the real life, infrastructure, houses and livelihood activities of the Khmu people to have a comparative view in the cultural context, society and livelihood of the Khmu people in different locations Ethnic sociological survey: Ethnic sociological investigation for the thesis is carried out using a pre-designed questionnaire and focuses on collecting data for descriptive statistics about the current situation livelihood capital sources and livelihood activities of resettled people In addition, the thesis also combines the use of mapping and photography methods to describe the resources and livelihood activities of the resettled Khmu people in Thanh Chuong, compared with the old residence and some the living area of the Khmu at home and abroad 4.2.2 Material handling method Descriptive statistical method: This method is applied to describe the general picture of the basic situation of the study areas, poverty status, livelihood resources and livelihood activities of the Khmu people after resettlement The thesis uses SPSS software to analyze quantitative information collected by questionnaires during fieldwork Comparative analysis method: Comparison is a very important method and basic approach in anthropological research, this approach is conducted with many different topics The core of the thesis is to learn about the livelihoods of an ethnic minority who have to resettle in a new place in order to explore the similarities and differences in human change and adaptation to the new environment People's behavior in livelihoods will be analyzed and compared in both chronological and synchronous aspects In terms of chronology, analyze and compare the Khmu people before and after resettlement, in the synchronic aspect, compare the Khmu people with the ethnic groups in the resettlement sites and the Khmu people in other areas (based on secondary documents) New scientific contributions of the thesis The thesis "The livelihood of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province" has some new scientific contributions as follows: - The thesis is the first scientific research work discussing the livelihood in resettlement of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province Thereby, we can see the livelihood resources, changes and adaptations in the livelihood of the Khmu people in the new living environment - Research results of the thesis include policy proposals related to economic development, livelihoods and preservation of cultural diversity of people after resettlement These proposals are considered based on the actual situation of the Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, but they are also the basis for recognizing and evaluating views and policies for ethnic minorities in the area mountainous areas of Vietnam, especially the issue of resettlement - The research results of the thesis provide a scientific basis for managers to develop policies for economic development, cultural preservation, overcoming the limitations of resettlement in order to develop sustainably, ensure livelihoods for people affected by the construction of hydroelectric plants Theoretical and practical significance of the thesis 6.1 Theoretical meaning - The thesis contributes to providing more theoretical issues on resettlement, livelihood change and the adaptation of people after resettlement to the community of residents in mountainous areas of Vietnam, especially are ethnic minorities, including the Khmu - Through the application of a sustainable livelihood framework, the application of cultural ecology theory, the thesis has contributed to affirming the ability to apply theories when studying ethnic livelihoods in the research method system of Vietnam Ethnology/Anthropology when studying ethnic minorities in Vietnam, especially research on resettlement - Research results contribute to supplement and clarify theories when researching ethnic livelihoods, cultural adaptation in resettlement 6.2 Practical significance - The thesis provides practical documents on resources, changes in livelihood activities, cultural adaptation of the Khmu people under the impact of resettlement - The research results of the thesis contribute to pointing out the outstanding problems that need to be overcome in migration and resettlement, in economic development and in ensuring the livelihoods of people in the mountainous areas of Vietnam - The thesis also contributes to additional sources of Ethnology/Anthropology to serve the teaching and research of topics on livelihoods, the Khmu people and resettlement Structure of the thesis In addition to the introduction and conclusion, the thesis is structured into chapters, as follows: Chapter Overview on issues related to the thesis, theoretical basis and the research area Chapter Livelihood resources and some policies related to the livelihood of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province Chapter Livelihood activities of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province Chapter Some problems for livelihoods and proposed solutions towards sustainable livelihoods for the Khmu in the resettlement site Chapter OVERVIEW ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE THESIS, THEORETICAL BASIS AND THE RESEARCH AREA 1.1 Research overview 1.1.1 Literature of foreign authors 1.1.1.1 Livelihood Research In the past two decades, studies on livelihoods have been interested by scholars around the world Many studies on different types of livelihoods have been published, thereby showing a clear picture diverse paintings on this research topic in the world Chambers, R and GR Conway (1992) were pioneers in providing the connotation of the concept of sustainable livelihoods and livelihoods, according to which a livelihood consists of necessary capabilities, assets, and activities to earn a living Khanya (2000) applied a sustainable livelihoods framework to conduct an analysis of the current situation of livelihoods in order to reduce poverty Henry Bernstein et al (1992) again focused on explaining the origin of poverty, the structure of agriculture and the significance of poverty on people's lives Frank Ellis (2000), has focused on presenting a diverse picture of rural life in order to understand the social relations, institutions, organizations and livelihood strategies of the people From the perspective of an anthropologist, Anan Ganjanapan (2000) again focuses on cultural aspects of the management of natural resources, mainly land and forests, in the northern region of Thailand John Clammer (2001) addresses different issues of livelihood livelihoods, firstly, in terms of livelihood resources and then in terms of livelihoods livelihood activities Sustainable Livelihoods: The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework means that people rely on five types of capital to secure their livelihood, including: natural capital, human capital, and social capital social capital, physical capital, and financial capital Livelihood resources: The concept of livelihood resources used in the thesis is often called livelihood capital, including: human capital, natural capital, social capital, physical capital and financial capital Livelihood activities: The concept of livelihood activities used in the thesis is the use of livelihood resources in activities required to earn a living, to satisfy material needs in order to ensure the survival of people individuals, families and communities Resettlement: Resettlement is a concept that still has many different interpretations, depending on the purpose, different definitions are given In resettlement for hydropower projects in Vietnam, there are usually some forms of interleaved resettlement, concentrated resettlement and movable resettlement Involuntary Resettlement: Refering to the phenomenon of a group of people having to relocate or change their place of residence to make way for development projects Cultural change: Culture often tends to change and adapt to specific natural and social environments Cultural change is the cultural change in the social life of an ethnic group compared to traditional culture Cultural change is often through absorbing and borrowing cultural elements of other ethnic groups Transformation can take place in some or all areas However, this transformation usually takes place in two trends: abandoning traditional culture or changing to adapt to new conditions Cultural change is caused by the internal needs of the culture of the community or ethnic group or by outside interference Cultural adaptation: Adaptation is all changes in the cultural and social life of an ethnic group to suit new conditions and circumstances while still retaining their cultural identity not only make ethnic culture preserved but also have richer development [80] 1.2.2 Theory used in the thesis The thesis uses two theories as the basis for approaching, analyzing and solving research problems, including: The theory of sustainable livelihoods and the theory of cultural ecology 1.3 Overview of the research site and resettlement of the Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province 1.3.1 Overview of Thanh Chuong district Thanh Chuong is a mountainous district, located in the southwest of Nghe An province The resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district to serve the Ban Ve hydropower project including communes Thanh Son and Ngoc Lam was formed on the basis of receiving resettled people of communes Kim Da, Kim Tien, Huu Khuong and Huu Duong and Luan Mai of Tuong Duong district 1.3.2 Overview of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant Ban Ve hydropower plant was built on Nam Non river (a tributary of Ca river), located in Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province, is the largest hydroelectric project in the North Central region 1.3.3 Overview of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong 1.3.3.1 Ethnic history and process The Khmu people is the official name recognized by the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is an ethnic group among 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, they also have other names: Xa Cau, Mon Xen, Pu Thath, Tenh, Tay Hay According to statistics from the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the General Statistics Office [96], there are 90, 612 Khmu people in Vietnam, residing mainly in provinces such as Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Son La, and Thanh Chemistry and Nghe An 1.3.3.2 Some economic characteristics of the Khmu people resettling in Thanh Chuong, Nghe An As residents with agricultural roots, when resettled, the Khmu people have had many changes in their income structure 1.3.3.3 Some cultural and social characteristics Traditionally, the Khmu people are swidden and live scattered along creeks or hillsides quite isolated from the outside, and their residence is only temporary for a certain period of time A medium scale version usually consists of about 30 to 50 roofs The spiritual world of the Khmu is based on the polytheistic animist belief, they believe that all things have a soul Sub-conclusion of chapter Within the framework of a thesis with an anthropological/ethnographic approach, the topic chooses the philosophical views of dialectical materialism and historical materialism as the theoretical foundation; using the theory of cultural ecology and the theory of sustainable livelihoods to analyze and explain people's livelihoods in order to propose some solutions to help people have a stable life and develop sustainably Chapter LIVELIHOOD RESOURCES AND SOME POLICIES RELATED TO THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE KHMU PEOPLE IN THE RESETTLEMENT SITE IN THANH CHUONG DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE 2.1 The livelihood resources of the Khmu people at the resettlement site of Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province 2.1.1 Natural resources 2.1.1.1 Land The living area before resettlement of the Khmu people was mainly in some remote communes of Tuong Duong district When resettling in Thanh Chuong district, the Khmu people's production land was mainly hilly and mountainous The soil is mostly red-yellow Feralit soil that grows on clay schist, has a tight texture, is a heavy to medium loam soil 2.1.1.2 Water source (river, stream, etc.) Surface water has main rivers and streams flowing through the resettlement site (Song Con, Thac Liep, Dao Lang, Lang, Khai, and Man Tac streams) and many small creeks forming a water supply system for living, agricultural production, air conditioning and providing aquatic resources for the people 2.1.2 Human resources Human resources can be considered as one of the most important factors in livelihood resources Besides good health, knowledge, skills, and ability to work are important things that help people pursue different livelihood strategies to achieve their livelihood goals 2.1.2.1 Population, household structure Resettled residents in Thanh Chuong are concentrated and divided into administrative boundaries by villages The whole region has 30 villages (Thanh Son commune 16, Ngoc Lam commune 14), 04 main ethnic groups living, including Thai, Kho Mu, O Du and Kinh 2.1.2.2 Education and labor qualifications Education Over the years, the Government, ministries and localities have always paid attention to investing in strengthening facilities for schools at all levels Currently, Khmu students have been studying in spacious, clean and beautiful classrooms, and the students' access time to school in the resettlement site has improved markedly However, the quality of teachers still has many shortcomings Labor qualification The origin is agricultural residents, mainly shifting cultivation, with low education level, so before resettlement, the working level of the Khmu was very low When the Khmu people just moved to resettle, to stabilize their lives, there were some training courses on agricultural production knowledge, training was opened, but the percentage of Khmu people workers was trained still very modest, accounting for only 0.5% 2.1.3 Financial resource The reality shows that the financial resources of the resettled Khmu people are not abundant, except for cash compensation during the resettlement process Not only mobilizing capital for business, but also managing and properly using financial resources is probably a problem for the livelihood activities of the resettled Khmu people The lack and weakness of this skill makes their livelihood activities in the new place many difficulties and is one of the causes leading to poverty 2.1.2 Material resources 2.1.4.1 House The survey on housing status of the Khmu before resettlement showed that 95% (190 households) lived in traditional houses, only 10 households built Thai-style stilt houses 2.1.4.2 Equipment and amenities for people's daily life Resettlement in the new place of residence, almost the number of valuable assets and living amenities in the Khmu family has increased compared to the old place of residence, some assets such as motorbikes, televisions, refrigerators, mobile phones have been purchased by all households 2.1.4.3 Infrastructure of the resettling community It can be seen that, compared with the old place of residence, the transportation system at the resettlement place has been invested quite synchronously and improved a lot compared to the old place This is a favorable condition for the Kho Mu to access better markets, information sources and basic services, thereby also having significant impacts on some of their livelihood activities 2.1.5 Social resources At the resettlement site, the natural living space of the Khmu people has changed a lot, along with that, the social space has also changed a lot The social resources in the new place will be an opportunity but also pose many challenges for people's livelihood activities 2.2 Some policies related to the livelihood of the Khmu people resettling in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province 2.2.1 Some ethnic policies implemented at the resettlement site The resettled people in Thanh Chuong district in general and the Khmu people in particular have enjoyed many policies, programs and projects that directly or indirectly support resources and livelihood activities Although these policies have differences in content, focus, and support mechanisms, they all have a certain influence on their lives and livelihoods Besides the positive aspects that promote the expansion of livelihood resources, there are still many shortcomings in the implementation of policies, programs and projects 2.2.2 Policy on compensation, support and resettlement The compensation and support policies have been implemented for more than 10 years, however, there are still many shortcomings, making the adaptation and livelihood restoration of the people still not as expected Sub-conclusion of chapter It can be said that the resettlement in Thanh Chuong has changed many livelihood resources of the Khmu in a positive direction, helping the Khmu community have many opportunities to access important resources in their livelihood Livelihoods Through people's opinions and analysis above, it shows that, out of 05 sources of livelihood, in the resettlement place of the Khmu people, four resources have changed in a positive direction, which are: 1) Human resources; 2) Social resources; 3) Physical resources and 4) Financial resources Chapter LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES OF THE KHMU PEOPLE IN THE RESETTLEMENT SITE OF THANH CHUONG DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE 3.1 Agricultural activities 3.1.1 Cultivation activities 3.1.1.1 Upland farming Like many other Mon-Khmer people-speaking populations in Vietnam, the Khmu are known as swidden inhabitants (hre) In Nghe An, the Thai people call the Khmu people "Tay hay" which means "farmers" At the resettlement site, the swidden cultivation of the Khmu people also had important changes, that is, the swidden cultivation that previously provided their main source of livelihood was rice, but now in the resettlement place, there is no change However, the households that grow rice and other traditional crops on upland fields have switched to growing other crops such as cassava, maize and tea 3.1.1.2 Rice cultivation When they returned to the resettlement place, a number of Khmu households had land to grow wet rice The potential area for cultivation of wet fields in the resettlement site of the Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district is quite large However, the land is infertile, and the improvement of wet rice growing areas lacks science, so the reality is that the area is still not as expected of local authorities and people 3.1.1.3 The emerge of the home garden For the Khmu, cultivation in the garden appeared quite late, although their period of sedentary cultivation was quite long After resettlement in Thanh Chuong, this practice also persisted, although most of the resettled households were provided with residential land and adjacent garden land Besides the garden land adjacent to the house, the Khmu people also consider the hilly land as their home garden In addition to planting forestry trees such as acacia, cycad, the Khmu have grown cassava and maize A few have started growing tea on the family's own hill garden 1.1.4 Growing tea Industrial tea is identified as a key industrial plant that brings high economic efficiency, stability and long-term sustainability to resettled people Investment in the development of industrial tea is considered by the government as an appropriate policy in transforming the crop structure of the people in the resettled area in general and the Khmu people in particular However, the Khmu people are still facing difficulties in tea growing activities due to many factors such as lack of capital, technology, etc 3.1.2 Livestock activities For the Khmu people, cattle raising is considered as one of the livelihood activities that play an important role Animal husbandry not only contributes to providing food for daily meals, but also a source of goods that can be exchanged when needed and is also a valuable asset in the family While land is shrinking in area and poor in quality, important resources for livestock are gradually lost 3.2 Non-farm activities 3.2.1 Exchange and trade In addition to the above economic activities, trading and exchange have also appeared for a long time in the life of the Khmu people However, this activity has only stopped at the rudimentary form of trading, the products sold are usually agricultural and forestry products, cattle, poultry, and knitting products Compared with Thai people living in the resettlement site, the integration into the market economy of the Khmu is still limited 3.2.2 Hiring and other services In the tradition, hired work has become a long-standing practice of the Khmu people, and at the same time it has also become the way of thinking of the people At the resettlement site, the Khmu people continue their "journey" to work as hired laborers in their livelihood activities Not only they work for Thai people, but they also work for Kinh people Not only they work as hired laborers in the region, but they also work as hired laborers in more remote areas outside the province, even to neighboring countries 3.2.3 Fisheries At the old place of residence, fishing plays an important role in the livelihood of the Khmu, not only as an auxiliary activity in the off-season, providing food for the family, but also contributing to the income of the Khmu people many households But at resettlement, aquatic resources are not abundant, causing the natural fishing and exploitation of the Khmu people to gradually disappear, making a source of livelihood associated with many generations of an ethnic group no longer available exist 3.2.4 Exploiting resources from the forest For the Khmu people, the forest has become close and closely associated with them for many generations, not only providing an important food source but also the basis of forming ethnic cultural values However, at the resettlement site, natural extraction activities from the forest are decreasing due to the depletion of forests and forest-related products That not only affects the livelihoods but also fades the knowledge and culture in dealing with the forest of the people Sub-conclusion of chapter At the resettlement site, the livelihood activities of the Khmu people have changed in terms of form, structure and scale Besides farming, the most obvious change in the livelihoods of the resettled Khmu people is in the livestock sector, not only in the number of livestock but also in the output in product consumption Before resettlement, the exploitation of food and natural foods was one of the important economic activities of the Khmu people However, after resettlement, there was no natural forest, while the production forest area was small and poor, and natural products were rare, making hunter-gatherer activities exist for many generations of the people Khmu is almost gone Chapter SOME PROBLEMS FOR LIVELIHOODS AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS FOR THE KHMU IN THE RESETTLEMENT SITE 4.1 Some problems for the livelihood of the Khmu in the resettlement site 4.1.1 Low income and high poverty rate The Khmu is the ethnic group with the highest poverty rate in Nghe An There have been many analyzes by authorities at all levels about the causes of poverty in the Khmu people such as: lack of production capital, lack of productive land, lack of capital production materials, lack of labor, no job but most people think that in the new living environment, natural conditions such as land, water, climate, soil are not suitable with their livelihood activities have not been able to adapt to these changes 4.1.2 Some problems for resources and livelihood activities 4.1.1.1 Not adapting to changes in livelihood resources in new living environment The process of migration and resettlement in Thanh Chuong district has reduced or even lost the ability to access some natural resources such as agricultural production land, forest and forestry land, and aquatic resources In which, the most obvious is the decline of forest resources, which has limited important livelihood activities for people such as exploiting forest products, raising cattle under the forest canopy, using materials from the forest to recover services for traditional crafts such as knitting Besides natural resources, human resources have not yet adapted to the new place Compared to before resettlement, human resources have changed in a positive direction, however, the quality of resettled Khmu people human resources is still low 4.1.1.2 Traditional livelihood activities have no development conditions, while new livelihood activities are not suitable As described in other parts of the thesis, the livelihood activities of the Khmu before resettlement are quite diverse, however, in the new place of residence due to the lack of agricultural land, the access to natural resources is limited Natural resources such as forests have become increasingly limited, leading to underemployment and labor surplus In addition to planting a number of new crops, the resettlement project has not created more jobs and new industries to replace stably and effectively for people In order to survive, people in some places have to participate in other hired jobs or many Khmu people return to their old places to business and live 4.1.3 Some issues of cultural adaptation and conservation 4.1.3.1 The problem of cultural adaptation The traditional cultural values of the Khmu people have been shaped for a long time in history, associated with their living areas and livelihoods in mountainous areas, the production knowledge and behavioral culture that they possess The Khmu people accumulated over many generations are closely related to their habitats of land and forests The fact that people have to relocate familiar places to make way for the Ban Ve hydropower project has changed their culture in many areas Besides a number of positive factors, the fading of ethnic culture in the Khmu has been taking place in the resettlement site 4.1.3.2 The issue of preserving ethnic culture New resettlement policies stop at compensation for the affected households, infrastructure construction and livelihood restoration policies for people How to preserve culture after resettlement has not been paid due attention by authorities at all levels 4.2 Some questions raised from a policy perspective Despite many efforts, the compensation and compensation, the resettlement policy does not fully cover the damage suffered by the people whose land has been acquired The policies of compensation and support for resettlement only stop at compensation for land use rights and assets directly damaged, incomes are reduced due to change and limited access to resources natural resources have not been taken into account Policies related to the livelihood of the Khmu people in particular and the resettled community in Thanh Chuong in general are only interested in supporting the first time when they are resettled Such support to restore income and stabilize people's lives is not enough to ensure people's lives in the transition period 4.3 Some proposed solutions towards sustainable livelihood development for Khmu people people in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province The resettlement project in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province has been implemented for more than 10 years The work that needs to be done to develop sustainable livelihoods for the resettled Khmu people people now needs to focus on the post-resettlement period settled However, the solutions mentioned below during the development and implementation of the resettlement plan will have policy implications for other hydropower resettlement projects in the future 4.3.1 Solutions in the stage of building resettlement plan If it is necessary to resettle people, it is necessary to conduct careful and scientific investigation, survey, and planning The resettlement site must ensure the quality and complete the essential infrastructure for production and people's life The community of residents whose land has been acquired and must be resettled needs to be actively and effectively involved in all stages of resettlement such as planning, design, planning, etc 4.3.2 Solutions in the stage of resettlement implementation The compensation for land needs to have enough area and quality of land suitable to farming practices so that people can secure land for production, and provide food and food for households Link the allocation of agricultural production land with the allocation of forestry land and forest management to create opportunities to access the forest economy associated with cultural traditions in order to create conditions for people to restore their livelihoods and ensure food security after resettlement The advantages of part-time jobs, business advantages, access to services, etc or natural sources of income such as forests, rivers, and streams need to be calculated and included in the compensation plan for resettled people reside It is necessary to have a flexible policy so that people can be compensated in a reasonable manner without contravening current regulations 4.3.3 Solutions in the period after resettlement It is necessary to extend the food support policy until people have a stable income, about years or more There should be support to pay for health, education, electricity, lighting and fuel in line with the actual costs that resettled people have to pay Should support resettled people in science and technology for new plants and animals Financial management with the amount of compensation is also very important, so there are appropriate forms of credit to help people manage and develop their household's financial resources Sub-conclusion of chapter Resettlement policy for ethnic minorities affected by the construction of Ban Ve hydropower project to live in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An has helped people access a number of resources and activities new livelihood However, there are still some unsatisfactory issues of "making people's lives better or at least equal to the old place" Specifically, income poverty has improved significantly, but the rate is still high, while indicators of multidimensional poverty of this ethnic group are still worrying The problem with livelihood resources is that land, which is an important source of livelihood for the Khmu people, is small in size, poor in soil quality, and unsuitable for growing traditional crops Traditional livelihood activities not have development conditions, new livelihoods are not suitable for people In terms of culture, it shows that traditional cultural values have changed in the direction of fading the knowledge related to the production and import of modern cultural values There are not only livelihood problems but also policy issues that need to be resolved Stemming from such situations, a number of solutions aimed at a sustainable livelihood for the Khmu resettling in Thanh Chuong have been proposed by the thesis, focusing on three main stages of the resettlement process are preparation, implementation and post-resettlement CONCLUSION From the point of view of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, from the Anthropological/Ethnological approach, the thesis has used the theory of cultural ecology and the theory of sustainable livelihoods to describe, analyze and explain clearly the aspects of livelihood of the Khmu people in the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province With the policy of "making the new residence better or at least equal to the old one" At the resettlement place, the Khmu people enjoy better infrastructure, 100% of the households can use the national grid, the intercommune roads are concreted, Thereby, promoting activities activities of contact, exchange and circulation of goods, expand markets, contribute to improving and expanding opportunities of the Khmu people in poverty reduction and economic development Facilities such as schools, clinics, solidly built houses, clean water, sanitation, etc have contributed to improving living conditions and expanding opportunities for people to access education, healthcare health and health care Human resources, financial resources and social resources have also had many positive changes, contributing to the development of people's livelihoods However, the natural resources (mainly land and forests) that played the most important role in the traditional livelihoods of the Khmu before resettlement have changed towards decreasing and increasingly depleted in the area new stay In the old hometown, the Khmu people are residents with a tradition of shifting cultivation and consider the forest as an important source of livelihood However, due to the ceding of land to build Ban Ve hydropower plant, the Khmu along with the Thai and O Du had to live in a completely alien natural and social environment, where they did not have knowledge about them The changes in livelihood resources have caused the cultivation of the Khmu people to change in a more diversified direction, in accordance with natural conditions, soil, climate and also the needs of the market at the resettlement site In the traditional society and even before resettlement, the Khmu people often worked as hired labors for the Thai people in agriculture and forestry during their leisure time At the resettlement site in Thanh Chuong, the Khmu people not only work as hired labor for the Thai people but also work for the Kinh people, not only in the fields of agriculture and forestry but also as porters Collecting and processing tea in fields and tea factories in the region The Khmu people also work far away from Nghe An province, even to China and Laos Livelihood resources have changed a lot, but people have not yet adapted to this condition at the resettlement site Traditional livelihood activities not have the conditions to exist and develop, while new livelihood activities are not suitable, making the job change of the resettled Khmu people facing many obstacles However, looking at the trend, it can be seen that the livelihood activities of the Khmu people have been changing in the direction of gradually reducing extensive agricultural activities depending on the land to cultivation activities intensive farming, applying science and technology to get higher productivity Along with that is the change from exploiting natural products from forests, rivers, streams to farming and planting on gardens and hills A more holistic view shows that there has been a shift from a self-sufficient economy that closely depends on nature to a "market economy" Despite receiving much investment attention and support from the State, the rate of income poverty and multidimensional poverty among the Khmu is still high The Khmu people resettled in Thanh Chuong are also at risk of losing their traditional culture when the knowledge associated with livelihoods in the old place cannot be used and promoted Meanwhile, resettlement has made ethnic exchanges and contact stronger, along with the reception of modern cultural elements through television and other media Ethnic culture is changed more rapidly The resettlement of a whole community of residents away from their familiar places of residence in the old countryside is unavoidable with shortcomings and limitations full The resettlement project in Thanh Chuong district for the Khmu people affected by the construction of Ban Ve hydropower plant has been posing many problems from policy making, planning, implementation and after resettlement As for the livelihood of people after resettlement, including the resettled Khmu people in Thanh Chuong district, it is not only affected by the socio-economic context and current policies, but also by the current policy, greatly influenced by the process from policy making to resettlement implementation Through analyzing the current situation and livelihood changes, the thesis proposes some solutions towards sustainable livelihoods for the Khmu people resettled in Thanh Chuong at all three main stages of the resettlement process preparation, implementation and post-resettlement From the perspective of Ethnology/Anthropology, the author of the thesis realizes that livelihood is not simply an economic or material issue of people but also a culture and a reflection of human culture when dealing with the environment the natural environment, the social environment, and the supernatural world This is also true of the case of the Khmu people resettled in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province LIST OF WORKS PUBLISHED BY AUTHOR Le Manh Hung 2015 “Mountainous Development Programs and Socio-Economic Changes among the Kmhmu'in Nghe An Province, Vietnam (case study of Huoi Cut, Yen Na Commue, Tuong Duong district)” In Mon Khmu people: People of Mekong Region Chiang Mai University Press, pps 147-177 Le Manh Hung 2019 “The role of fishing for the Kho Mu people in Nghe An” Vietnam Journal of Social Sciences, No 5-2019, p 103-108 Le Manh Hung 2020 “Cultivation activities of the Khmu people in Thanh Chuong (Nghe An)” Art and Culture Magazine, No 443, July 2020, p 35-37 and 41-42 ... Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province 1.3.1 Overview of Thanh Chuong district Thanh Chuong is a mountainous district, located in the southwest of Nghe An province The resettlement site in Thanh. .. (Nguyen Thi Van Anh: 2006; Bui Thi Thanh Ha: 2005) In addition, many articles on the livelihoods of different ethnic groups have been published in specialized journals (Tran Hong Hanh: 2011), (Bui... carried out in the resettlement site of the Khmu people in Thanh Son and Ngoc Lam communes of Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province In which, Thanh Son commune was selected as the main research site