Assessing livelihood capitals and outcomes for forest dependence households in van hoc commune, na ri district, bac kan province

Human capital of households in Van Hoc commune ...Error: Reference source not foundTable 4.5: Education background of house hold headError: Reference source not foundTable 4.6: Social ca

Furthermore, I would like to express my gratefulness to my advisorNguyen Hai Nui for the continuous support of my study and research, for hispatience, motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge His guidance helped

me in all the time of research and writing of this thesis

I am also extremely grateful to all of people lived in Van Hoc communewho enthusiastically helped and gave me convenient conditions duringconducting my survey at this place

Last but not least, I would like to sincerely thank my family, friends forsupporting and encouraging me to complete my thesis comprehensively

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1

…… 79

APPENDIX 80

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1

…… 79

APPENDIX 80

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 The forest dependence scale .Error: Reference source not foundTable 3.2: Livelihood platform variables Error: Reference source not foundTable 4.1 General information of surveyed households Error: Reference

source not foundTable 4.2 General information of surveyed household headError: Reference

source not foundTable 4.3: The vulnerability context of households in Van Hoc in 2015Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4.4 Human capital of households in Van Hoc commune .Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4.5: Education background of house hold headError: Reference source

not foundTable 4.6: Social capital of households Error: Reference source not foundTable 4.7: Detail of social capital .Error: Reference source not foundTable 4.8 Financial capital of households in Van Hoc commune .Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4.9: Financial statistics of household's incomeError: Reference source

not foundTable 4.10: Details of the financial capital of householdsError: Reference source

not foundTable 4.11: Physical capital of household Error: Reference source not foundTable 4.12: Housing situation and housing quantity of household .Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4.13: Natural capital of household .Error: Reference source not foundTable 3.14: Summary statistics for income by Forest dependence levels Error:

Reference source not found

Table 4:15: Some indicators to assess the results of livelihoodError: Reference

source not foundTable 4:16: The level of indicators evaluating the results of livelihood .Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4:17: Review human resources and propose solutions .Error: Reference

source not foundTable 4:18: Assessment of social resources and propose solutions .Error:

Reference source not foundTable 4:19: Review financial resources and propose solutionsError: Reference

source not foundTable 4:20: Assessment of natural resources and propose solutions Error:

Reference source not found

Table 1: Livelihood platform variables

Table 3.1: The forest dependence scale

Table 3.2: Housing situation variables

Table 4.1: General information of surveyed households

Table 4.2: General information of surveyed household head

Table 4.3: The vulnerability context of households in Van Hoc in 2015Table 4.4: Human capital of households in Van Hoc commune

Table 4.5: Education background of household head

Table 4.6: Social capital of households

Table 4.7: Detail of social capital

Table 4.8: Financial capital of households in Van Hoc commune

Table 4.9: Financial statistics of household's income

Table 4.10: Details of the financial resources of households

Table 4.11: Physical capital of household

Table 4.12: Housing situation and housing quantity of household

Table 4.13: Natural capital of household

Table 2.14: Summary statistics for income by Forest dependence levels

Table 4:154: Some indicators to assess the livelihood outcomes

Table 4:165: The level of indicators evaluating the livelihood outcomesTable 4:176: Review human resources and propose solutions

Table 4:187: Assessment of social resources and propose solutions

Table 4:198: Review financial resources and propose solutions

Table 4:2019: Assessment of natural resources and propose solutions

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Livelihood assets pentagon .Error: Reference source not foundFigure 2.2 Sustainable livelihood frameworkError: Reference source not foundFigure 3.1 Conceptual framework .Error: Reference source not found

Figure 2.1 Livelihood assets pentagon

Figure 2.2 Sustainable livelihood framework

Figure 3.1 Conceptual framework

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

(including both material and social resources) and activities required for a means

of living A livelihood is considered to be sustainable when it can cope with andrecover from stress and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities andassets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource

base" Each household has a different policy in line with the natural, thefinancial, social and available human conditions to maintain livelihood.However, today, securing the livelihoods of people still also meet manydifficulties due to many different reasons such as customs are still backward, theuse of resources is not the right purpose and the resources are not exploitedeffectively,

With the goal of poverty reduction, sustainable development, theprotection and development of sustainable livelihoods for households is animportant activity in rural development Ensuring the household livelihood is tohelp people cope and recover from shocks and heavy stresses This will maintainand even enhanced the capabilities and assets both in the present and futurewithout photo based affect natural resources

Forests play a crucial role to the livelihood of communities indeveloping countries While not only contributing to the green economy bycreating a safer, healthier living environment It also provide a great dealservices for human and production development alike Shelter, food, gasemissions, and a source of spiritual and cultural life of the communities living

by forests

Van Hoc is a commune in Na Ri district, BacKan province, Vietnam It islocated bordering communes with localities as follows: In the North it borders

on Vu Loan commune and Luong Ha commune; on Luong Ha commune andLang San commune to the East ; on Lang San to the West.

To ensure the livelihood resources for forest-dependent households inVan Hoc commune, local authorities is advised to guide the people to effectivelyexploit the use of available resources To educate and to raise awareness to thecause of poverty will help reduce investment mistakes and increase capitalpreservation Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the livelihood of thepeople is also an important issue in the process of helping people to developsustainable livelihoods

investment focused on transportation infrastructure; improve the means ofproduction, applied science and technology, which contribute to improvingproductivity, labor efficiency However, rapidly growing population is placing arequest for the allocation of the use of resources to meet the needs of futuredevelopment

Stemming from the fact that we choose to study the topic: "Assessinglivelihood capitals and outcomes for forest dependence households in Van Hoc

1.2 Objectives of the Study

1.2.1 General Objectives

Analyzing current situation of livelihood capitals and outcomes, for

1.2.2 Specific Objectives

•Assessing of the status of the livelihood capitals and outcomes for forest

•Recommending some orientations and measures to improve the

livelihood outcomes in Van Hoc commune, Na Ri district,BacKan province

1.3 Research Questions

livelihood capital affect livelihood outcomes?

activities and improve the living quality in Van Hoc commune, Na Ri district,BacKan province?

1.4 Scope of the study

1.4.1 Research Object

Research on livelihood resources, forest dependence, and other

1.4.2 Research Scope

• Scope of content: Assessing livelihood capitals and outcomes for forest

• Scope of space: Van Hoc commune, Na Ri district, Bac Kan province

• Scope of time: From Jan 14, 2016 to Aug 10, 2016.

CHAPTER 2 LITERAUTURE REVIEW 2.1 Basic definitions and concepts

b) Livelihood assets

Livelihood assets refer to human and non-human resources (natural,physical, human, social and financial) upon which livelihoods are built and towhich people need access The assets constitute a stock of capital that can bestored, accumulated, exchanged or allocated to activities to generate a flow ofincome or means of livelihoods or other benefits (Rakodi, 1999)

c) Livelihood strategy

This denotes the range and combination of activities and choicesthat people make and undertake ways of combining and using assets in order toachieve their livelihood goals (DFID, 1999)

d) Sustainable livelihood

A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover fromstresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both nowand in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base (Carney, 1998)

Livelihoods are sustainable when they: (i) are resilient in the face ofexternal shocks and stresses; (ii) are not dependence upon external support (or ifthey are, this support itself should be economically and institutionallysustainable); (iii) maintain the long-term productivity of natural resources and;

(iv) do not undermine the livelihoods of, or compromise the livelihood optionsopen to, others (DFID, 1999).

2.2 Sustainable livelihood framework

The livelihoods framework (Figure 1.1) is a tool to improve ourunderstanding of livelihoods, particularly the livelihoods of the poor It wasdeveloped by Department for International Development (DFID) in1999 Theframework does not attempt to provide an exact representation of reality.However, it endeavors to provide a way of thinking about the livelihoods ofpoor people that will stimulate debate and reflection, thereby improvingperformance in poverty reduction In its simplest form, the framework viewspeople as operating in a context of vulnerability Within this context, they haveaccess to certain assets or poverty reducing factors These gain their meaningand value through the prevailing social, institutional and organizationalenvironment This environment also influences the livelihood strategies ways ofcombining and using assets that are open to people in pursuit of beneficiallivelihood outcomes that meet their own livelihood objectives (DFID, 1999)

2.2.1 Vulnerability context

The Vulnerability Context Frames the external environment inwhich people exist People’s livelihoods and the wider availability of assets arefundamentally affected by critical trend as well as by shocks and seasonalityover which they have limited or no control For examples:

trends, trends in governance (including politics), technological trends, etc

conflict, crop/livestock health shocks, etc

opportunities, etc

Vulnerability Context is important because they have a direct

impact upon people’s asset status and the options that are open to them inpursuit of beneficial livelihood outcomes Shocks can destroy assets directly (inthe case of floods, storms, civil conflict, etc.) They can also force people toabandon their home areas and dispose of assets (such as land) prematurely aspart of coping strategies Recent events have highlighted the impact thatinternational economic shocks, including rapid changes in exchange rates andterms of trade, can have on the very poor Trends may (or may not) be morebenign, though they are more predictable They have a particularly importantinfluence on rates of return (economic or otherwise) to chosen livelihoodstrategies Seasonal shifts in prices, employment opportunities and foodavailability are one of the greatest and most enduring sources of hardship forpoor people in developing countries.

2.2.2 Livelihood Livelihood assets

Human capital: Human capital represents the skills, knowledge, ability

to labor and good health that together enable people to pursue differentlivelihood strategies and achieve their livelihood objectives At a householdlevel, human capital is a factor of the amount and quality of labor available; thisvaries according to household size, skill levels, leadership potential, healthstatus, etc

that is, as a building block or means of achieving livelihood outcomes Itsaccumulation can also be an end in itself Many people regard ill health or lack

of education as core dimensions of poverty and thus overcoming theseconditions may be one of their primary livelihood objectives As well as being

of intrinsic value, human capital (knowledge and labor or the ability tocommand labor) is required in order to make use of any of the four other types

of assets It is therefore necessary, though not on its own sufficient, for theachievement of positive livelihood outcomes

Social capital: There is much debate about what exactly is meant by the

term ‘social capital’ In the context of the sustainable livelihoods framework, it

is taken to mean the social resources upon which people draw in pursuit of theirlivelihood objectives These are developed through: (i) networks andconnectedness, either vertical (patron/client) or horizontal (between individualswith shared interests) that increase people’s trust and ability to work together andexpand their access to wider institutions, such as political or civic bodies; (ii)membership of more formalized groups which often entails adherence to mutuallyagreed or commonly accepted rules, norms and sanctions; (iii) relationships oftrust, reciprocity and exchanges that facilitate co-operation, reduce transaction costsand may provide the basis for informal safety nets amongst the poor

Mutual trust and reciprocity lower the costs of working together.This means that social capital has a direct impact upon other types of capital: Byimproving the efficiency of economic relations, social capital can help increasepeople’s income and rates of saving (financial capital) Social capital can help toreduce the ‘free rider’ problems associated with public goods This means that itcan be effective in improving the management of common resources (naturalcapital) and the maintenance of shared infrastructure (physical capital) Socialnetworks facilitate innovation, the development of knowledge and sharing ofthat knowledge

There is, therefore, a close relationship between social and humancapital

Social capital, like other types of capital, can also be valued as a good initself It can make a particularly important contribution to people’s sense ofwell-being

Natural capital: Natural capital is the term used for the natural resource

stocks from which resource flows and services (e.g nutrient cycling, erosionprotection) useful for livelihoods are derived There is a wide variation in the

resources that make up natural capital, from intangible public goods such as theatmosphere and biodiversity to divisible assets used directly for production Forexamples of natural capital and services deriving from it: Land, forests,marine/wild resources, water, air quality, erosion protection, waste assimilation,storm protection, biodiversity degree and rate of change.

Within the sustainable livelihoods framework, the relationshipbetween natural capital and the Vulnerability Context particularly close Many

of the shocks that devastate the livelihoods of the poor are themselves naturalprocesses that destroy natural capital (e.g fires that destroy forests, floods andearthquakes that destroy agricultural land) and seasonality is largely due tochanges in the value or productivity of natural capital over the year

Natural capital is very important to those who derive all or part oftheir livelihoods from resource-based activities (farming, fishing, gathering inforests, mineral extraction, etc.) However, its importance goes way beyond this.None of us would survive without the help of key environmental services andfood produced from natural capital Health (human capital) will tend to suffer inareas where air quality is poor because of industrial activities or natural disasters(e.g forest fires)

 Physical Capital: Physical capital comprises the basic infrastructure

and producer goods needed to support livelihoods Infrastructure consists ofchanges to the physical environment that help people to meet their basic needsand to be more productive Producer goods are the tools and equipment thatpeople use to function more productively The following components ofinfrastructure are usually essential for sustainable livelihoods: (i) affordabletransport; (ii) secure shelter and buildings; (iii) adequate water supply andsanitation; (iv) clean, affordable energy; (v) and access to information(communications)

Infrastructure is commonly a public good that is used without direct

payment Exceptions include shelter, which is often privately owned, and someother infrastructure that is accessed for a fee related to usage (e.g toll roads andenergy supplies) Producer goods may be owned on an individual or group basis

or accessed through rental or ‘fee for service’ markets, the latter being commonwith more sophisticated equipment

 Financial capital: Financial capital denotes the financial resources that

people use to achieve their livelihood objectives The definition used here is noteconomically robust in that it includes flows as well as stocks and it cancontribute to consumption as well as production However, it has been adopted

to try to capture an important livelihood building block, namely the availability

of cash or equivalent, thatequivalent that enables people to adopt differentlivelihood strategies

There are two main sources of financial capital:

because they do not have liabilities attached and usually do not entail reliance onothers They can be held in several forms: cash, bank deposits or liquid assetssuch as livestock and jewelry Financial resources can also be obtained throughcredit-providing institutions

common types of inflows are pensions, or other transfers from the state, andremittances In order to make a positive contribution to financial capital theseinflows must be reliable (while complete reliability can never be guaranteedthere is a difference between a one-off payment and a regular transfer on thebasis of which people can plan investments)

Financial capital is probably the most versatile of the five categories ofassets because: (i) can be converted; (ii) can be used for direct achievement oflivelihood outcomes; (iii) rightly or wrongly, it can also be transformed into politicalinfluence and can free people up for more active participation in organizations that

formulate policy and legislation and govern access to resources.

However, also the asset tends to be the least available to the poor.Indeed, it is because the poor lack financial capital that other types of capital are

so important to them

(Source: DFID, 1999)

Figure 2.1 Livelihood assets pentagon

2.2.3 Structure and Processes

 Structures

Structure in the framework are the hardware the organizations, bothprivate and public that set and implement policy and legislation, deliverservices, purchase, trade and perform all manner of other functions that affectlivelihoods They draw their legitimacy from the basic governance framework.Structures exist at various levels This is most obvious in the case ofgovernmental organizations These operate in cascading levels with varyingdegrees of autonomy and scope of authority, depending upon the extent andnature of decentralization Private commercial organizations also operate atdifferent levels from the multi-national to the very local, not only the local level

that is relevant to livelihoods Analysis should therefore be sensitive to the rolesand responsibilities of the different levels of structures and seek to identify thosethat are of greatest importance to livelihoods.

Public sector:

- Political (legislative) bodies at various levels from local through tonational

- Executive agencies (ministries, departments)

- Judicial bodies (courts)

- Quasi-governmental agencies

Private sector:

- Commercial enterprises and corporations

- Civil society/membership organizations (of varying degrees offormality)

- NGOs (international, national, local)

Structures are important because they make processes function.Without legislative bodies, there is no legislation Without courts to enforce it,legislation is meaningless Without traders, markets would be limited to directtrades between buyers and sellers An absence of appropriate structures can be amajor constraint to development This is a particular problem in remote ruralareas Many important organizations both private and public sector do not reachthese areas As a result, services go undelivered, markets do not function andpeople’s overall vulnerability and poverty increases Moreover, when people donot have access to organizations of the state they often have little knowledge oftheir rights and only a very limited understanding of the way in whichgovernment functions This disenfranchises them and makes it hard for them toexert pressure for change in the processes (policies, legislation, etc.) that affecttheir livelihoods

 Processes

If structures can be thought of as hardware, processes can be thought of

as software They determine the way in which structures and individuals operateand interact In addition, like software, they are both crucial and complex: notonly are there many types of processes operating at a variety of different levels,but there is also overlap and conflict between them

framework for the actions of public sector implementing agencies and their contractors

sub-• Institutions have been variously defined as the ‘rules of the game’,

‘standard operating practices’, ‘routines, conventions and customs’ or ‘the waythings are done’ They are informal practices that structure relationships andmake the behavior of organizations somewhat predictable Thus, informalarrangements on land access are institutions, as are markets ‘Rules of the game’operate both within structures and in interactions between structures

communities or larger societies

relations that confer a particular status on people and constrain their behaviorand opportunities according to factors that are essentially out of their control(age, gender, etc.)

2.2.4 Livelihood Livelihood strategies

Livelihood strategies are the combination of activities that peoplechoose to undertake in order to achieve their livelihood goals They includeproductive activities, investment strategies and reproductive choices.Livelihoods approaches try to understand the strategies pursued and the factorsbehind people’s decisions; to reinforce the positive aspects of these strategies

and mitigate against constraints

The choice of strategies is a dynamic process in which people combineactivities to meet their changing needs For example, in farming households,activities are not necessarily confined to agriculture but often include non-farmactivities in order to diversify income and meet household needs Migration,whether seasonal or permanent, is one common livelihood strategy

2.2.5 Livelihood Livelihood outcomes

Livelihood outcomes are the achievements or outputs of livelihood

strategies, such as:

• More income: Although income measures of poverty have been much

criticized, people certainly continue to seek a simple increase in net returns tothe activities they undertake and overall increases in the amount of moneycoming into the household (or their own pocket) Increased income also relates

to the idea of the economic sustainability of livelihoods

• Increased well-being: In addition to income and things that money can

buy, people value non-material goods Their sense of well-being is affected bynumerous factors, possibly including: their self-esteem, sense of control andinclusion, physical security of household members, their health status, access toservices, political enfranchisement, maintenance of their cultural heritage, etc

• Reduced vulnerability: Poor people are often forced to live very

precariously, with no cushion against the adverse effects of the VulnerabilityContext; their livelihoods are to all intents and purposes unsustainable For suchpeople, reducing their vulnerability to the downside and increasing the overallsocial sustainability of their livelihoods may well take precedence over seeking

to maximize the upside

• Improved food security: Food insecurity is a core dimension of

vulnerability It appears as a separate category in the framework in order toemphasize its fundamental importance, and because this helps to locate the

activities of those governments and donors that focus on food security It is alsoworth noting that participatory poverty assessments have shown hunger anddietary inadequacy to be a distinct dimension of deprivation.

• More sustainable use of the natural resource base: Environmental

sustainability, or sustainability of the natural resource base

(Source: DFID, 1999)

Figure 2.2 Sustainable livelihood framework

2.3 Theoretical basis of Livelihood Strategies and the degree of dependent people

Livelihood strategies:

Livelihood strategy is the process of making decisions about thehousehold issues, including issues such as the composition of the household, thecohesiveness among members, allocating the physical resources of thehousehold and non-material (Seppala, 1996) To maintain households,households often have different livelihood strategies, according to (Seppala,

Influence

& Access

Transforming Structure &

Processes STRUCTURE

- Levels of government -Laws

- Private - Policies sector - Culture

- Institutions

PROCESSES

LIVELI HOOD STRA TEGIES

Livelihood Outcomes

- More income

- Increased well-being

- Reduced vulnerability

- Improved food security -More sustainable use of NR base

H

S

P

F N

H: Human Capital F: Financial Capital N: Natural Capital

P: Physical Capital S: Social Capital

1996) livelihood strategies can be divided into 3 categories:

Accumulation strategy: A long-term strategy aimed at growth and

could be a combination of many activities towards accumulation and wealth Toimplement this strategy livelihoods of the people not only meet the minimumbasic needs of the household but also save partly to the revenue after deductingother costs The accumulation is important for households as it will be the basisfor households to cope with shocks which can happen in livelihood activities.This is an important strategy for the development of sustainable livelihoods to

do effectively However, this is the highest-level strategic and most difficult ofthe three livelihood strategies

Reproduce Strategy: A medium-term strategy consists of many

income-generating activities, the priorities may be aimed at community activities andsocial welfare Process of production need the combination of variouscomponents and it has a direct impact on the ecological environment Theactivities in the strategy needs to be clearly defined, specific processes, earningswhich are expected to bring from the manufacturing process, the ability toreproduce, the impact of production activities on the environment and publicsociety, The goal is the first activity mentioned in this strategy, the objectives

objectives to be able to conduct reproduction are income from currentproduction activities can have enough capital to conduct the next phase ofproduction Example: In the process of rice production, farmers conduct riceproduction in the current harvest and will leave part of their income from cropcultivation to proceed on the season after that

Survival strategy: Is short-term strategies, including all income generating

activities just to survive without accruing This is the basic strategy to maintainthe survival of the household, the specific strategies that indicate households

need to do to be able to survive Activities in the existing strategy are the mostbasic activities of living based on limited funds.

Sustainable livelihood strategies are strategies to implement the goals ofsustainable livelihoods The sustainable livelihood strategies to response theserequirements: Strategic human-centered; response strategy and people canimplement this strategy; the strategy is carried out under the close cooperation ofagencies, organizations and citizens; the implementation of livelihood strategies

to ensure the balance between humans and the environment; strategiesappropriate changes depending on the object

Forest dependence livelihood strategies

In this paper, the research follows the livelihood approach of Bedru

choice with particular focus on the household’s reliance on forest collection, theshare of forest environmental income in total household income was used toclassify sample households into mutually-exclusive groups On this basis,sample households were grouped into four distinct clusters Accordingly,households generating less than or equal to 20%, 20–40% and above 40% share oftheir total income from forest sources were classified as group-I, group-II and group-III , respectively The three groups were labeled as follows: group-I = ‘lessdependent’; group-II = ‘moderately dependent’ and group-III = ‘highly dependent’

on forest collection

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Conceptual Framework

This framework is mainly based on the sustainable livelihoodsframework of DFID in 1999 and combine one more component of sustainabilityassessment

The sustainable livelihoods framework presents the main factors thataffect people’s livelihoods, and typical relationships between them It can beused in both planning new development activities and assessing the contribution

to livelihood sustainability made by existing activities

In particular, the framework: (i) provides a checklist of importantissues and sketches out the way these link to each other; (ii) draws attention tocore influences and processes; and (iii) emphasizes the multiple interactionsbetween the various factors which affect livelihoods

The framework is centered on people It does not work in a linearmanner and does not try to present a model of reality Its aim is to helpstakeholders with different perspectives to engage in structured and coherentdebate about the many factors that affect livelihoods, their relative importanceand the way in which they interact This, in turn, should help in theidentification of appropriate entry points for support of livelihoods

After livelihood analysis by using sustainable livelihoodsframework, this results combining with other factors will be used to assesssustainability of ethnic minorities by using IUCN’s barometer of sustainability

Primary data was collected through direct interview66

householdsinhouseholds in a three hamlets including Na Ca, Po Pheyeo, Po Ran(these hamlets located in the same forest area) in Van Hoc commune, Na Ri district,

b) Secondary data

Secondary data is data which have been published in books,

newspapers, magazines, reports, etc…The data collected in this study include:

• Population, area, poverty through the years

c) Participatory Rural Appraisal Methods (PRA)

PRA is an approach to data collection that grew out of rural

development work PRA is widely used since it applies traditional methods by

Influence

& Access

Transforming Structure &

Processes STRUCTURE

- Levels of government -Laws

- Private - Policies sector - Culture

- Institutions

PROCESSES

LIVELI HOOD STRA TEGIES

Livelihood Outcomes

- More income

- Increased well-being

- Reduced vulnerability

- Improved food security -Increased the sustainable livelihood

H

S

P

F N

H: Human Capital F: Financial Capital N: Natural Capital

P: Physical Capital S: Social Capital

which communities share information.

In this case, this method would be used to collect general information ofthe communities and define the importance of livelihood assets (weight of variables)

3.2.2 Analytical Methods

a) Descriptive statistics

This method is used to describe a comprehensive overview on the

basic situation of research area, the economic situation of household, livelihoodassets for economic development of households By this method, it can describethe factors that facilitate and hinder the selection of household livelihoodstrategies

b) Classification statistics

Classification is the problem of identifying to which of a set ofcategories (sub-populations) a new observation belongs, on the basis of atraining set of data containing observations (or instances) whose categorymembership is known In this case, this method uses to classify the groups ofhousehold therefore shows the characteristic of households

c) Comparative Method

Comparative method uses to compare the indicators

of classified groups or other factors The results will show the differentcharacteristics of household, thereby the data can be analyzed in specificsituation

3.3 Research Indicators System

3.3.1 Scales System

unsatisfied or satisfied; (4) satisfied; (5) very satisfied

share of their total income from forest sources were classified as 3 livelihood

3.3.2 Research Indicators of Livelihood Assets

According to the research of B.Becher (2012) pointed out that thedetermination of the overall indicators of the livelihood assets are the first thing

to digitize specific data for the assessment of sustainable livelihoods Based onthe collected data, the indicators form the spreadsheet of livelihood assets foreach specific capital This spreadsheet includes five overall indicators of

overall indicators are calculated by specific variables of each livelihood asset.There are four steps as follow:

Step 1: Select 3-5 specific indicators (variables) for each livelihood

assets These variables reflecting elements of each resource such ashousing quality, clean water accessibility, electricity accessibility,…etc

Step 2: Define the point range for each variable; minimum equals 0

point and maximum equals 100 points Specific point for each variablewill be define as follow:

Human capital:

Labor: The percentage of labor in a household (labor/household

size*100%) is the points for labor variable as well

Education of labor: The percentage of labor having high-school or

higher education is the points for education of labor variable school education + higher level)/total labor*100)

((high-Household size: The point of this variable base on number of

people per household; 6 people or more (100 points); 5 people (80points); 4 people (60 points); 3 people (40 points); 2 people or less (20points).

Training class participated: defined by the 5-points scales: (1)

never = 0 point; (2) sometimes = 25 points; (3) about half = 50points; (4)almost all = 75 points; (5) all training class = 100 points

Financial capital:

Income covered household’s needs: (1) no = 0 points; (2)

reasonable: 50 points; (3) yes=100 points

Savings: The percentage of households having savings also equals

the point for this variable

Financial loans accessibility: The percentage of households having a

debts

Have a stable income: The percentage of households having at least

one member who have a stable income

Social capital:

Training classes invitation: (1) never = 0 point; (2) sometimes =

25points; (3) about half = 50 points; (4) almost all = 75 points; all classes

= 100 points

Hamlet meeting participation: (1) never = 0 point; (2) sometimes =

25points; (3) about half = 50 points; (4) almost all = 75 points; all classes

= 100 points

Getting helps from community: (1) no = 0 point; (2) sometimes = 50

points; (3) yes = 100 points

Local association participation: The percentage of households

having member who participated in any association of the hamlet

Natural capital:

Cropland area: (i) Do not have any crop area = 0 point; (ii) less

than 2000 m2 = 25 points; (iii) from 2000 to less than 4000 m2 = 50points; (iv) from 4000 to less than 6000 m2= 75 points; (v) 6000 m2 ormore= 100 points.

Forest accessibility: The value of this variable based on the

accessibility by space of house hold; (i) household can directly accessthe forest = 100 points; (ii) less than 2km = 80 points; (iii) from 2km toless than 4km = 60 points; (iv) from 4km to less than 6km = 40 points; (v)6km or more= 20 points

Clean water accessibility: The percentage of households which can

access the clean water from nature

Physical capital:

Housing situation: This variable using both criteria of housing

situation and housing quality

- Housing situation: (1) permanent; (2) semi-permanent; (3) Temporary home; (4) Home less

- Housing quality: (1) good; (2) normal; (3) bad

For more details:

Table 3.2 Housing situation variable

(4) Homeless 0

Housing assets: It is converted from poverty assessm ent point as foll ows:

Motor bike: (i) none = 0 converted value; (ii) less than 3points = 5 converted values; (iii) from 5 points to less than 10 points = 10 converted values; (iv) from 10 point to less than 20 points = 15 converted values; (v) 20 points or m ore = 20 converted values.

Other housing assets: (i) none = 0 converted value; ; (ii) less than 3points = 2.5 converted values; (iii) from 5 points to less than 10 points = 5 converted values; (iv) from 10 point to less than 20 points = 7.5 converted values; (v) 20 points or m ore = 10 converted values.

Production and business assets:

It is converted from poverty assessment point also: (i) none = 0 points; (ii) less than 3 points = 2.5 converted values; (iii) from 5 points to less than 10 points = 5 converted values; (iv) from 10 point to less than 20 points = 7.5 converted values; (v) 20 points or m ore = 10 converted values.

Electricity accessibility: The percentage of households which can access the electricity equal the point of this variable

Step 3: Define the weigh (i) for each variable, which can reflect the importance of variables for livelihood assets This step depends on the subjective judgm ent of the evaluator In this case, PRA method is used to define the weights Step 4: Calculate the weighted point of each variable and livelihood asset by the form ula:

Weighted value of variable = W x 100 x i

W: converted value of variable i: weight of variable

Overall indicator of each livelihood asset equal total weighted point of relevant variables The overall indicator of each capital is determ ined to be good if the value is greater than or equal to 50% of the m aximum value of which, and not good if the value is less than 50% of which.

Finally, the radar chart will be used to show the overview of livelihood assets in the research area Thereby, the evaluations and recomm endations will be given.

Bàihoàntoànkhôngsửdụngphầnnàynênbỏnóđi, thayvàođó, thiếtkếbảngthểhiệncácchỉtiêunghiêncứuvà ý nghĩacủanótheocáchsau:

Table 3

(nhớ sửa lại cho phù hợp với các chỉ tiêu nghiên cứu trong bài làm của mình, đây là bài của thầy, số lượng biến nó ít hơn và có thể khá

1=preschool, 2=primary school,3=junior high school, 4=high school,5=intermediate, 6=higher level

Member education

1=preschool, 2=primary school,3=junior high school, 4=high school,5=intermediate, 6=higher level

Labor households withstable income

needed(1=yes, 0=no)

Be invited toparticipate in training

Whether HHs get invitation inparticipate training(1=yes, 0=no)Financial

Continuous value

Housing situation 1=permanent, 2=semi permanent, 3=

temporary houseHousing quality 1=good, 2=normal, 3=badNatural

Capital

Access to the forest Ha and minute

Financi

al Capital

HH has cash savings (1 = yes; 0 = no)

Number of the HH income sources (1 = the

HH has more than three cash income sources, 0 =otherwise)

HH has depth (1 = yes; 0 = no)

HH has stable labour income (1 = yes; 0 =no)

Social

Capital

HH is invited to participatein training (1 =yes; 0 = no)

HH members in forest patrol (1 = yes; 0 = no)

HH participates the local Unions (1 = yes; 0 =no)

HH trust their neighbours(1 = yes; 0 = no) Natural

Combined value of HH productive assets (logtransformed)

3.3.3 Research Indicators of Sustainability Assessment

According to the research of Nguyen Dinh Hoe (2007) and Phung KhanhChuyen (2009) about using barometer of sustainability as a tool to measure thewell-being of community and the progressive towards sustainability, which wasproposed by IUCN in 1996 This indicator system includes two main parts, whichare human well-being (H) and ecosystem well-being (E) and each part has 5variables with the same weight The overall result will be illustrated on BS chart

CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction Introduction of Research Site

4.1.1 Natural Characteristics

Geographical location

located bordering communes with localities as follows: In the North it borders

on Vu Loan commune and Luong Ha commune; on Luong Ha commune andLang San commune to the East ; on Lang San to the West

Van Hoc has an area of 16 km² and a population about 1056 people,population density is 66 people / km² Van Hoc commune with inter-communeroads connect to Highway 3B at Luong Ha Commune has Na Tat streams

Terrain

Van Hoc is characterized by mountainous terrain northeast of thenorthern, mountainous terrain, slope of 10-25 degrees popularity Topographywas cut sharply by rugged mountains and river systems, traffic should traveldifficult, especially the upland villages

Climate, hydrology

Van Hoc commune has the natural conditions with relatively favorable,suitable for the development of agricultural crops Weather during the yeardivided into two distinct seasons The rainy season from April to October; dryseason from November to March next year The annual average temperature is210C, the highest temperature up to 370C above, down to the lowesttemperature of 50C Average annual rainfall is about 1.084mm

 Land resources

The total area of natural land of Van Hoc commune in 2014 is 1450,95ha

facilitate cultivation

 Hydrological

The commune has Ta Nat springs Ethnic minorities have moreexperience ditches, fade, north trough, as the country reels Also takingadvantage compatriots to water power for production, living as rice mortars,machine bubbles pop, mini hydropower, downstream array

Khmer.IncludeKhmer Include 8 villages, total households are 244 householdsand 1091 people Mainly agricultural production

 Output of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry

Agriculture: Total production of cereals reached 943 tons of food per

person / year is 864 kg in 2015 Agricultural production continued to Van Hoccommune stable development was started by applying scientific advances inproduction techniques, the rational use of fertilizers and pesticides Also thekind of crops such as groundnuts, beans, peas and vegetables are also focusedtypes of investment and high income

Forestry: In 2014, timber has been done measuring 66.78 hectares of

plantations concentrated is 49,8ha and dispersed is 17.2 ha Now there has beenacceptance, the plants grow better Deploy registered afforestation concentratedand dispersed in 2015 The total number of registered participating households is

93 households, the total area is 64.1 registered implement ha In recent years theCommittee, People's Committee has directed funds to strengthen the protection

of existing forests and enrichment through the delivery of drilling, forestregeneration, boost capital renovations protection forests and production forests

Animal husbandry

Buffalo herd: 252/245 figure reached 102.85%

 Traffic construction and land management:

Communications and capital construction in 2014:

Under construction traffic Ha Luong - Van Hoc and rural roads Dengproducing aromatic baits Valley, is building Nursery School

Watering: In the commune there are 01 lakes and 17 works dams,canals serve production Basically meet the irrigation of spring, the crop

Land: In 2015 received 04 profile land dispute was resolved Transfer

of land use rights of 10 records

Budget: Budget revenues in the province so far has collected

Educations

+Primary education and secondary

Total staff, teachers, waiters of 02 levels are 23 comrades

Facilities: There are a total of 15 classrooms

- Tables and chairs enough for the classroom and the teacher'sworkroom, enough seating for both grade students

Total student 95 students including 56 primary school; Secondary39

- There is equipment and textbooks, teacher books enough to serveteaching and learning

+ Preschool

The total number of teachers: 08 people and 02 contracts

The school coordination with the departments, parents to perform thetasks of the school year Improving the quality of teaching for teachers, goodchild care education, strive to implement a roadmap for universal standards ECEfor children at the right age

The total number of 103 young children; Mobilizing younger layers of100%

Culture radio information

Organization of cultural activities, sports occasion art major holidays.Combined with the front and the voting of the family branches cultural,residential culture, cultural units in 2014

Overcoming these clusters FM receivers in the villages

Combined with the provincial labor information cultural exchange anddissemination of the resolutions committee Bac Kan Province, welcoming30/4_01/5/2014 were 01 sessions

 Medical

The attention of the district health center, the preventive healthprofessional directing and monitoring the interest of committees, localgovernments, and all relevant departments and enthusiasm village health teamssympathy and support in health centers have better implementation andcompletion targets for the superior delivery.

4.2 Research results

4.2.1 Fundamental characteristics of surveyed household s

and Po PoPhyeo and Ran Here is some basic information about the household

Table 4.1 General information of surveyed households

Criteria

Tota l Numbe r of household (%)

Number of househo ldNo.

HHs

(%)

Number of househo ldNo.

According to Table 4.1 data, poor households tend to increase

moderatemoderately forest-dependent groups waswere moderate and highlymany forest-dependent on forest with respectively 35% and 55% Thus, we cansee the group less dependent on economic conditions of forest than the othergroups

For households, the heads of household has a very important role.They were often made the final decision for household production activities.According to Table 4.2, male-headed households account for a large proportion,over 80% for all 3 groups Especially with the group less dependent on forests,the proportion accounted for nearly 94% The reason is that Vietnam's maturestyle, men are often heads of household in the family

Table 4.2 General information of surveyed household head

Criteria

Number of household

No HHs

(%)

Number of household

No HHs

(%)

Number of househo ldNo.

HHs

(%)

Number of householdN