Improving Well-being in Rural Areas of Extreme Hardship

Extremely impoverished villages and communes are often situated in remote areas with complex terrains, making travel and transportation difficult and infrastructure investment expensive. Therefore, when launching the new rural development program in extremely challenging localities, provinces have creatively applied specific mechanisms to support and mobilize resources for infrastructure construction, particularly transport infrastructure, to assist rural socio-economic development.

During the 2021-2025 period, the new rural development program in extremely challenging localities aims to construct essential infrastructure, including transport infrastructure, electricity, environment, water, healthcare, educational infrastructure, production infrastructure, irrigation infrastructure, and information technology infrastructure. The program aims to certify at least 200 out of 1,815 extremely difficult communes (about 11%) and 420 communes in safe zones (100%) to meet new rural development standards. No commune will fall below 15 criteria. At least 2,109 out of 3,513 villages (60%) in extremely difficult communes in border areas, mountainous areas, coastal areas and islands will fulfill new rural development standards. This is an important task that requires the participation of the entire political system from central to grassroots levels and the response of the people.

Mr. Phuong Dinh Anh, Deputy Director of the Central Coordination Office for Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized that in extremely challenging localities, the direction and administration of the Party Committee and authorities at all levels are key for new rural development. They must identify typical factors and promote exemplary and leading roles of reputable people such as village elders and village chiefs in each community.

In response to Resolution 26-NQ/TW dated August 5, 2008 of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (10th term) on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, the Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the National Target Program on New Rural Development for the 2010-2020 period on June 4, 2010. One year later, on June 8, 2011, the Prime Minister launched the emulation movement “The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas” to mobilize all levels, sectors, social forces, and people from all walks of life across the country to join hands and contribute to new countryside construction. After 13 years of determined effort by the entire political system and people from all walks of life under the drastic direction of Party and State leaders, the National Target Program has achieved "huge, comprehensive and historic" accomplishments. It has become an influential popular movement throughout society and has helped bring Party resolutions on agriculture, farmers and rural areas and the National Assembly's resolution on the National Target Program on New Rural Development into practice. The program’s achievements have helped create significant changes in the outlook of rural areas, improve socioeconomic infrastructure, facilitate effective agricultural restructuring, and raise the incomes and living standards of rural people.

A specific support mechanism is needed for localities facing extreme difficulties

As of September 2023, 6,043 out of 8,167 communes (74%) in the country have met new rural standards. This includes 100 mountainous communes, 1,528 communes certified to achieve advanced new rural development standards, and 230 communes certified to fulfill model new rural development standards. On average, a commune has reached 16.9 criteria. In Vietnam’s new rural development program, extremely difficult localities and ethnic minority areas receive special attention and support from all-level governments, especially since the start of the second-phase implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development (2016 - 2020). The results of new rural development in these regions are optimistic. Mr. Phuong Dinh Anh, Deputy Director of the Central Coordination Office for Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized five lessons learned to achieve highly effective new rural construction results in these regions.

First, the direction and administration of Party committees and authorities at all levels, especially the firm direction of leaders in each locality, is key to new rural construction. Second, it is necessary to introduce a new set of rural development criteria at all levels to gauge the performance of the program. For extremely difficult areas and ethnic minority areas, there is a need to have criteria for certified villages and communes. Third, an emulation movement must be created to engage all stakeholders in this process for effective new rural development. Fourth, there must be a specific support mechanism for extremely difficult localities. Fifth, it is necessary to have an economic development program that promotes local advantages of terrain, landscape, indigenous resources, and traditional cultural beauty for economic development. In particular, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program has helped develop livelihoods for people in extremely difficult localities and disadvantaged groups such as ethnic minorities and women (Ethnic minorities in difficult and mountainous areas account for 17.1%, especially in the northern mountainous areas, this rate is up to 37.3%). Additionally, in August 2022, the Prime Minister launched the Rural Tourism Development Program which has helped boost rural economic development, especially in extremely difficult areas and ethnic minority areas.

By Ngoc Minh, Vietnam Business Forum