Social Differentiation and Access to Water Resources

Social Differentiation and Access to Water Resources: The case study on the

resettled communities of Yali falls dam, Se San River, Kon Tum province, Vietnam

Tran Chi Trung and Dao Trong HungCentre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES)

Vietnam National University

The study site

100 0 100 200 Kil ometer s

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Yaly damSa Thay district

Chu Pah district

CAMBODIA

Ko n Tu m

Gia La i

Roa dRiver

$T Yali dam

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Res ett le d village s&\

Downstream villages

Boundary

Le g e n d

Kon Tum

Gia Lai

Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City

The Yali hydropower was commissioned in 2001.

Moving about 6,782 people belongs to 1,735 households of 4 ethnic groups (Kinh, Ro Ngao, Ba Na and Gia Rai)

Key research questions

1. How have the villagers been using the resources after they had resettled and what institutional factors impact their use?

2. What are the differences within the community in use of resources and other resources in terms of gender, age, kinship, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and class?

3. How have the resettlement program affected the local people differently?

4. Under which condition and terms different groups of people have participated in water governance and how has this affected their livelihoods?

The initial findings

The household resource system has totally changed and the local people have faced more difficulties.

Mono-crop based agriculture of cassava

Semi-flooded land – the provincial people committee allocated to the hydropower management board.

The initial findings (cont’)

Lack of consultation & participation in the resettlement process.

The initial findings (cont’)

Compensation packages planned but not fair & transparent.

The initial findings (cont’)

Reponses to the challenges of the resettlement site have been made but not effective.

The initial findings (cont’)

Conclusion

• Gaps in understanding the complicated situation of the resettlement site would lead to ineffectiveness in responses to their challenges.

• The resettled people and local authorities have not had a voice in the trade-offs negotiation process and have been suffering the consequences of the losses.

Thank you very much for your attentions!