Social and Environmental Implications of Resource Development in Vietnam: The Case of the Hoa Binh Reservoir

Hoa Binh Dam is of national importance as the country's principal source of electrical energy, but it has also resulted in massive social and environmental impacts at a more local level. A field study of one commune indicates the extent of disruption of local livelihoods caused by the dam. Displaced farmers are having to adapt to new agro-ecological conditions and a constrained resource situation, as well as the changes brought about by the restructuring of the rural economy that is part of the country's economic reform program. Unsustainable patterns of resource use result, with implications for the livelihoods of affectedc communities and for the longevity of the Hoa Binh Dam.