Some new academic papers on development issues in Vietnam - 2014 July 1 issue

[nv...@worldbank.org]

Some new academic papers on development issues in Vietnam - 2014 July 1 issue

**Agriculture and rural development

Certified Standards and Vertical Coordination in Aquaculture: The Case of Pangasius from Vietnam.
Certified Standards and Vertical Coordination in Aquaculture: The Case of Pangasius from Vietnam.
Neda Trifković. Aquaculture, 2014.

Abstract: This paper explores the interaction between food standards and vertical coordination in the Vietnamese pangasius sector. For farmers and processors alike, the adoption of standards is motivated by a desire to improve market access by ensuring high quality supply. Instead of encouraging the application of standards and contract farming, processing companies prefer to vertically integrate primary production largely due to concerns over the stable supply of pangasius with satisfactory quality and safety attributes. These tendencies increase the market dominance of industrial farming and worsen the position of small household farms. [sci].

A modeling approach for assessing rice cropping cycle affected by flooding, salinity intrusion, and monsoon rains in the Mek...
A modeling approach for assessing rice cropping cycle affected by flooding, salinity intrusion, and monsoon rains in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Akihiko Kotera, Khang Duy Nguyen and others. Paddy and Water Environment, 2014, volume 12, number 3, pp. 343-354.

Abstract: We developed a crop scheduling model for rice cultivation in the Vietnam Mekong Delta (VMD), focusing on the adaptive behavior of crop planning to various water resource constraints. In addition, we also examined the effects of environmental change on rice cultivation in the last decade. In the VMD, multiple rice cropping is practiced under a variety of adverse water conditions, including flooding, salinity intrusion, and irregular monsoon rains. These environmental changes influence the durations of growing seasons and the number of crops per year, resulting in changes in productivity. To validate the performance of the model, we compared model estimates for the heading date and changes in leaf area index at nine sites with estimates of these parameters derived from MODIS satellite time series data for the period 2002-2006. The root mean square errors of heading date between the modeled and satellite data in the upper, middle, and coastal regions of the delta were 17.6, 11.2, and 13.0 days, respectively. Based on the model, we examined case studies to assess the changes in cropping cycles and crop failures in the VMD due to extreme flooding in 2000 and salinity intrusion in 2004 by applying evaluation indices defined by available period for cultivation (APC) and safe margin for cropping (SMC) which is defined as the marginal time between APC and the period required for cultivation. Findings of case studies suggested that a small difference in the SMC of the cropping pattern is critical to the stability and productive capacity of the rice crop.

Eliciting gender preferences for REDD+ initiatives through structured decision making.
Eliciting gender preferences for REDD+ initiatives through structured decision making.
Mamta Vardhan. in: In Equal Measure: A User Guide to Gender Analysis in Agroforestry, ICRAF, 2014.

Abstract: Public participation in decision making in a wide variety of environmental management contexts has increased substantially over the past decades. However, meaningful involvement in a decision-making process requires not only an invitation to participate but also a forum for careful deliberation and a mechanism for incorporating the results into technical analyses (Gregory et al. 2012). The structured decision-making (SDM) approach addresses these concerns by placing a two-pronged emphasis on structured deliberation as well as incorporating results into analyses. –

The participation of forest-dependent stakeholder groups in developing reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) initiatives is an essential pre-condition for fair and effective implementation of REDD+ programs. At the same time, the need for procedures and methods that allow for active participation of stakeholders, especially forest-dependent groups, is a key concern for REDD+ program planners. The national REDD+ program in Vietnam is exploring various participatory methods and processes that allow for the participation of forest-dependent communities in REDD+ planning. A bottom-up SDM approach was used to understand gender preferences for a REDD+ initiative in northern Vietnam. Twelve SDM workshops were organized in four villages in the core and buffer areas of Ba Be National Park, Ba Be district, Bac Kan province, to elicit local communities’ objectives and preferences as regards program design (bottom-up versus top-down), types of benefits (cash versus in-kind), institutional mechanisms for benefit distribution (group versus individual) and monitoring arrangements (top-down versus participatory). Free full text http://worldagroforestry.org/sites/default/files/In%20equal%20measure_reduced.pdf#page=90.

Linkages among land use, macronutrient levels, and soil erosion in northern Vietnam: A plot-scale study.
Linkages among land use, macronutrient levels, and soil erosion in northern Vietnam: A plot-scale study.
Pham Thi Quynh Anh, Takashi Gomi and others. Geoderma, 2014, volume 232–234, pp. 352-362.

Abstract:

Objective: This study examined the interrelations among vegetative cover and biomass, soil macronutrient levels, and soil erosion in northern Vietnam. –

Methods: We selected ten dominant land-use types in a hilly area of western Hanoi including bare soil, agriculture (cassava or lemon grass), shrub land, five types of plantation forest, and indigenous forest. We measured the understory biomass, litter biomass, canopy openness, soil moisture content, soil pedestal height, soil hardness, soil bulk density, 137Cs and 210Pbex activities, and soil carbon and nitrogen on three 1 m2 plots for each land-use type. Soil erosion was calculated from both pedestal heights and radionuclides. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify the key factors controlling soil erosion and nutrient accumulations. –

Results: Understory biomass ranged from 2 to 375 g m− 2, and this tended to be higher in most of the forest types and shrubland than in cassava and lemon grass. In contrast, the amount of ground cover varied more by forest type than between the agricultural land uses and forest lands. The height of soil pedestals indicated that short-term soil erosion was negligible when understory biomass was greater than 130 to 150 g m− 2. 137Cs was only detected in the cassava plots, whereas 210Pbex indicated widely different erosion rates across the land uses, with lower values in the agricultural lands and two types of forest plantations, although this may be due to soil management practices. Both the correlation and principal component analyses showed that soil organic carbon and nitrogen were positively correlated to understory biomass and strongly and inversely influenced by bulk density. Soil erosion as indicated by soil pedestal height was strongly and inversely controlled by ground cover, litter, and understory biomass. Soil erosion was also heavily influential to soil chemical richness and bulk density. –

Conclusions: Ground vegetation cover and the resultant soil erosion processes altered the production and accumulation of SOC, while forest cover did not always result in high soil fertility or low erosion. A simple characterization of forest or non-forest is not sufficient to calculate carbon and nutrient stocks, or assess erosion risk. Practice Understory biomass of at least 130 g m− 2 and high ground cover are essential for reducing soil erosion and sustaining short- and long-term soil productivity. -- Implications: Rapidly developing areas in Southeast Asia, including hilly areas in North Vietnam, need to maintain understory biomass and ground cover for soil and nutrient conservation. [sci].


**Financial sector

Measurement of Formal Convergence of Vietnamese Accounting Standards with IFRS.
Measurement of Formal Convergence of Vietnamese Accounting Standards with IFRS.
Anh Tuan Nguyen and Guangming Gong. Australian Accounting Review, 2014, volume 24, number 2, pp. 182-197.

Abstract: Convergence refers to the process of narrowing the differences between International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) and country-specific accounting standards. The purpose of this study is to measure the formal convergence between Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS) and IAS/IFRS using a fuzzy-based approach. We assess the extent of convergence between VAS and IAS/IFRS from the perspective of a single standard, clusters of standards and the standards as a whole. The levels of standards convergence are clustered into four categories: full convergence, substantial convergence, substantial difference and complete difference. Our results indicate that the level of convergence between the two sets of standards only achieves mid-level convergence. The findings of this study should help policy makers improve VAS to meet international standards. [wiley].

Financial Monitoring in the New ASEAN-5 Countries.
Financial Monitoring in the New ASEAN-5 Countries.
Se Hee Lim and Noel G. Reyes. ADB Working paper Series on Regional Economic Integration, 2014.

Abstract: This paper examines the issues surrounding the implementation of global regulatory reforms—spearheaded by the G20 and mainly under the aegis of the Financial Stability Board (FSB)—in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, and Viet Nam (BCLMV). These countries are the five newest members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As such, there has been little consideration of the impact of global regulatory reforms on these countries. This paper contributes to the literature by providing an analysis of the capacity of the BCLMV countries to implement necessary financial regulatory reforms. Further, this analysis supplements ongoing efforts to establish the building blocks for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which is scheduled to be implemented by 2015. Toward this end, the paper addresses six key development issues in the BCLMV countries: (i) financial regulatory and supervisory systems, (ii) compliance with capital adequacy and liquidity management guidelines under the Basel reforms, (iii) macroprudential surveillance systems, (iv) transparency and disclosure, and (v) capital flow management. Free full text http://aric.adb.org/pdf/workingpaper/WP134_Lim_Reyes_Financial_Monitoring.pdf.


**Economic development

Measuring Corporate Innovation Capacity: Experience and Implications from i2Metrix Implementation in Vietnam.
Measuring Corporate Innovation Capacity: Experience and Implications from i2Metrix Implementation in Vietnam.
Vuong Quan Hoang, Nancy K. Napier and others. ASEAN journal of management and innovation, 2014, volume Jan-May.

Abstract: This paper discusses the issue of measuring corporate innovation capacity, and proposes a method for implementing such measurement program (i2Metrix). The actual survey on 19 Vietnamese leading businesses suggests that the i2Metrix design is working and can be further improved for future use. Responses by firms‟ executives show not only their awareness of innovation but also interest in management tools and methods to make use of this crucially important but elusive concept and resource. Insights from the survey highlight a disciplined process of innovation, adoption, and diffusion. Free full text https://opeconomica.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/198-533-1-pb.pdf.

Tax revenues convergence across ASEAN, Pacific and Oceania countries: Evidence from club convergence.
Tax revenues convergence across ASEAN, Pacific and Oceania countries: Evidence from club convergence.
Nicholas Apergis and Arusha Cooray. Journal of Multinational Financial Management, 2014.

Abstract: The goal of the present paper is to investigate the degree of convergence in tax revenues for a panel of 11 ASEAN, Asia Pacific and Oceania countries spanning the period 1990-2012. We apply the methodology of Phillips and Sul (2007) to various categories of tax revenues to assess the presence of convergence clubs. We consider four alternative categories of tax revenues. Overall, the results do not support the hypothesis that all countries converge to a single equilibrium state in such tax revenues. [sci].

EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreements Challenges of a Regional Approach.
EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreements Challenges of a Regional Approach.
Elisa Lironi. European Institute for Asian Studies, 2014.

Abstract: The European Union’s cooperation with ASEAN has a strategic function to facilitate the presence of a new economic and political regional power composed by different states, which could play an important leadership role in Asia’s trade with the rest of the world. –

However, after the economic crisis in 1997, ASEAN countries have signed bilateral Free Trade Agreements with Japan, China, Korea and the United States, leading to the risk that East Asian governments will raise protection against exports on excluded nations like the EU. As East Asia is more integrated and competitive today then ever before, if the EU wants to avoid paying high strategic costs, it must seize the opportunity to further develop its economic ties with these countries. –

In 2012, the European Union concluded the final negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore, the success of which has led to the bilateral dialogues also with other ASEAN countries, such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, in order to reach the same results. The hope is to someday reach a region-to-region approach that would facilitate EU-ASEAN relations. Nevertheless, ASEAN’s regional integration process is far from being similar to the European experience and the EU is still facing difficulties in negotiations because of the high heterogeneity of ASEAN as a group. Free full text http://www.eias.org/sites/default/files/EU-Asia-at-a-glance-Lironi-EU-ASEAN-FTAs.pdf.

Hypothetical Impacts of Energy Subsidy Removal on Firms in Vietnam: Phase II: Developing a Roadmap for Fossil Fuel Fiscal Po...
Hypothetical Impacts of Energy Subsidy Removal on Firms in Vietnam: Phase II: Developing a Roadmap for Fossil Fuel Fiscal Policy Reform: Final draft report.
Dang Thi Thu Hoai and Tran Toan Thang. Central Institute for Economic Management, 2013.

Abstract: This study component provides an analysis on the impacts of fossil fuel subsidy removal on enterprises in Vietnam, assuming that the removal will bring about an increase in energy prices. It focuses on micro level analysis and uses qualitative approach based on a small sample survey of around 70 firms. All firms selected for this analysis are intensive-energy consumers in manufacturing and services due to possible large impacts of energy price changes. More specifically, this report focuses on the following question: What is the recent situation of firms in term of energy efficiency; who will be affected by the removal; consequently, how is the labour impact; which mitigation measures are available and how do firms benefit from those measures. Three analytical reports in Phase I already focus on quantitatively assessing the output impact of subsidy removal and introduction of fossil fuel taxes. The analysis in this report is based on an ex-ante approach in which we try to measure the reaction of firms against the hypothetical increase of the energy price which is presumably the consequence of the subsidy removal. [Hoai&Thang-2013]. Free full text http://www.vn.undp.org/content/dam/vietnam/docs/Publications/Perceptional%20impact%20enteprise%20of%20Fossil%20Fuel%20Fiscal%20Policy%20Reform_CIEM.pdf.


**Education and training

The place of internship in the reform of teacher education in Vietnam.
The place of internship in the reform of teacher education in Vietnam.
Nguyen Loc. in: Practical Knowledge in Teacher Education: Approaches to Teacher Internship Programmes, Taylor & Francis, 2014.

Abstract: In Practical Knowledge in Teacher Education, expert contributors from across Asia and Europe explore and reflect upon the innovation and creativity in teacher education programs. Specific focus is given to the internships that provide students an opportunity for intensive, hands-on experience in schools. Different approaches to internship provide comprehensive information on a diversity of ways of organising and managing internship programmes within teacher education courses, and equip future teachers with real-world knowledge within a global context. –

Table of Contents: 1. Becoming teachers, developing practical knowledge Javier Calvo de Mora –

Part 1: Practical Knowledge and The Institutional Process 2. Teacher Internship: Reflection on the interface between policy and practice in Malaysian teacher education / Nagendralingan Ratnavadivel and Aminah Ayob 3. Bridging the mathematics education course and teaching practice: A Finnish example of how to construct and conduct research-based teacher education / Raimo Kaasila, Sonjoa Lutovac and Anneli Lauriala 4. The place of internship in the reform of teacher education in Vietnam / Nguyen Loc 5. Realising teacher quality through a Master of Teaching programme in Brunei Darussalam / Saratha Sithamparam 6. Internship and the education of teachers in Portugal in the new millennium / Amélia Lopes, Fátima Pereira and Cristina Sousa 7. Professional experience in Australian teacher education programs: an overview / Ruth Reynolds –

Part 2: Models of Internship 8. Developing teacher competency through practice in Singapore / Woon Chai Lou, Geok Chin Ovy Tan and Hairon Salleh 9. Teacher Internship in Ireland: current challenges and opportunities / Raymond Lynch and Patricia Mannix McNamara 10. Student teachers doing action research / Marit Ulvik 11. Clinical Practice in Japanese Teacher Preparation Programmes / Yoshiko Kitada 12. Digital challenges for schools and teacher education / Ingrid Helleve 13. Developing internships in the Netherlands: new concepts, new roles, new challenges / Corinne van Velzen and Marcel van der Klink 14. Professional learning communities in the teacher internship programme in Singapore / Hairon Salleh, Jonathan Goh Wee and Antonia Teng Kit Wah 15. Becoming teachers, learning through internship / Keith Wood.

Childhood growth, schooling, and cognitive development: further evidence from the Young Lives study.
Childhood growth, schooling, and cognitive development: further evidence from the Young Lives study.
Günther Fink and Peter C Rockers. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014, volume 100, number 1, pp. 182-188.

Abstract: Background: A growing literature has linked early childhood growth to later-life cognition and schooling outcomes in developing countries. Although existing evidence suggests that children's ability to recover from early growth delays in later childhood is limited, longitudinal studies on the persistence and risk of growth faltering beyond age 5 y remain scarce.Objective: Using longitudinal data recently collected from 4 developing countries as part of the Young Lives study, we investigated catch-up growth in children between the ages of 8 and 15 y and the effects of growth during this late-childhood and early-adolescence period on schooling and developmental outcomes.Design: We analyzed the associations between children's physical growth and development by using longitudinal data from 3327 children aged 8–15 y collected in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam as part of the Young Lives project.Results: The study yielded 2 main results. First, 36% of children stunted at age 8 y managed to catch up with their peers by age 15 y, and those who caught up had smaller deficits in cognitive scores than did children who remained stunted. Second, physical growth faltering was not restricted to early childhood but rather affected a substantial share of children in the 8–15-y age range, with large negative consequences for cognition and schooling outcomes.Conclusion: The results from this study suggest that child development in developing countries is a dynamic process offering continued opportunities for children to catch up during adolescence and sustained risks for children to fall behind in their developmental trajectories. Free full text http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/1/182.full.pdf+html.


**Environment - Disaster risk mangement

Capitalist Expansion and the Decline of Common Property Ecosystems in China, Vietnam and India.
Capitalist Expansion and the Decline of Common Property Ecosystems in China, Vietnam and India.
Fraser Sugden and Samantha Punch. Development and Change, 2014.

Abstract: This article identifies some of the multiple processes of capitalist development through which access to common property resources and their utility for communities are undermined. Three sites in upland Asia demonstrate how patterns of exclusion are mediated by the unique and selective trajectories through which capital expands, resulting in a decline of common property ecosystems. The process is mediated by economic stress, ecological degradation and political processes such as state-sanctioned enclosure. The first case study from Shaoguan, South China, indicates how rapid capitalist industrialization has depleted the aquatic resource base, undermining the livelihoods of fishing households yet to be absorbed into the urban working class. At the second site, in Phu Yen, Vietnam, capitalist development is limited. However, indirect articulations between capitalism on the lowlands and the peasant economy of the uplands is driving the commercialization of agriculture and fishing and undermining the utility of communal river and lake ecosystems. In the third site, Buxa in West Bengal, India, there is only selective capitalist development, but patterns of resource extraction established during the colonial period and contemporary neoliberal ‘conservation’ agendas have directly excluded communities from forest resources. Restrictions on access oblige them to contribute subsidized labour to local enterprises. The article thus shows how communities which are differentially integrated into the global economy are excluded from natural resources through complex means. [wiley].

Characterization of water pollution in drainage network using continuous monitoring data in Citadel area of Hue city, Vietnam.
Characterization of water pollution in drainage network using continuous monitoring data in Citadel area of Hue city, Vietnam.
Y. Nagano, T. Teraguchi and others. Water Science & Technology, 2014.

Abstract: In Citadel area of Hue city, drainage systems which include canals and ponds are non-negligible sources of fecal contaminants to inundated water during rainy season because the canals and ponds receive untreated wastewater. It is important to investigate the characteristics of hydraulics and water pollution in the canals and ponds. At the canals and ponds, water sampling was conducted during dry and wet weather periods in order to evaluate fecal contamination and investigate change of water pollution caused by runoff inflow. Inundated water was also collected on streets during a heavy rainfall. At the canals and ponds, concentrations of Escherichia coli and Total coliform exceeded the Vietnamese regulation values for surface water in 23 and 24 out of 27 samples (85 and 89%), respectively. The water samples were categorized based on characteristics of water pollution by cluster analysis. In a rainy season, continuous monitoring was conducted at the canals and ponds by water depth and electrical conductivity (EC) sensors to investigate dynamic relationship between water level and water pollution. It is suggested that in the canals, high EC meant water stagnation and low EC signified river water inflow. EC might be a good indicator of water flow change in the canals.

Initiation, development and payment mechanism of forest environmental services in Vietnam.
Initiation, development and payment mechanism of forest environmental services in Vietnam.
N. X. Hien and L. S. Jin. Journal of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Ecology, 2014, volume 7, number 1, pp. 69-80.

Abstract: Vietnam is an agricultural country located in South East Asia. It has large forested area with rich diversity in types and quality, and forestry contributes significantly to the income of the farmers. To increase the income and ensure sustainability and fairness, Vietnam is one of the leading countries applying payments for forest environmental services (PFES). Particularly in the past 10 years, the state has promulgated and implemented many policies to institutionalize, concretize and accelerate the PFES. However, when deployed on a large scale throughout the country, both buyers and sellers of forest environmental services are experiencing difficulties such as determining the mechanism of payments, funds management at all levels of government, coefficient payments with difference forest types and transaction cost at the intermediate levels. This study analyzed and proposed mechanisms to solve the above problems when applying the PFES on a national scale. Our suggestions and recommendations should be valued as lessons from deploying PFES in Vietnam.

Policy Review for Low-Carbon Town Development Project in Da Nang, Viet Nam: Final Report.
Policy Review for Low-Carbon Town Development Project in Da Nang, Viet Nam: Final Report.
Takato Ojimi, Wang Yangli and others. Report for the APEC Energy Working Group, 2014.

Abstract: Viet Nam has set national targets on emissions reductions, and Da Nang is in the process of developing targets locally. Da Nang is in the process of developing a low carbon town, with plans to develop environmental standards for buildings, facilitate the use of electric vehicles and charging stations, introducing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, using biogas for power generation, using raw wastes for biomass power generation, and optimising and managing street light energy use (CCCO of Da Nang City, 2013). Part 1 of the review contains background information on Da Nang City and provides context to Part 2, the review team report. The findings and recommendations in Part 2 are grouped by the following topics: institutional context; sustainable development plan; town structure; low carbon buildings; transportation; area management system; untapped energy resources; renewable energy and waste management. The policy review offers 75 recommendations for implementation that are grouped by topic. Some recommendations will incur little expenditure and rapid implementation, while others require long term planning and external financing and so implementation could take several years. [Ojimi-etal-2014]. Free full text http://aperc.ieej.or.jp/publications/reports/lcmt/LCMT_Phase_3_Da_Nang_Viet_Nam_Policy_Review_Report_Final.pdf.

Recent land subsidence caused by the rapid urban development in the Hanoi urban region (Vietnam) using ALOS InSAR data.
Recent land subsidence caused by the rapid urban development in the Hanoi urban region (Vietnam) using ALOS InSAR data.
Vu Khac Dang, Cécile Doubre and others. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 2014, volume 14, pp. 657-674.

Abstract: Since the 1990s the land subsidence due to the rapid urbanization has been considered a severely destructive hazard in the center of Hanoi City. Although previous studies and measurements have quantified the subsiding deformation in Hanoi center, no data exist for the newly established districts in the south and the west, where construction development has been most significant and where groundwater pumping has been very intensive over the last decade. With a multi-temporal InSAR approach, we quantify the spatial distribution of the land subsidence in the whole Hanoi urban region using ALOS images over the 2007-2011 period. The map of the mean subsidence velocity reveals that the northern bank of the Red River appears stable, whereas some areas in southern bank are subsiding with a mean vertical rate up to 68mmyr−1, especially within the three new urban districts of Hoang Mai, Ha Dong and Hoai Duc. We interpret the spatial distribution of the surface deformation as the combination of the nature of the unsaturated layer, the lowering of groundwater in the aquifers due to pumping withdrawal capacity, the increase of built-up surfaces and the type of building foundation. The time evolution deduced from the InSAR time series is consistent with previous leveling data and shows that the lowering rate of the surface slightly decreases till 2008. Then, a seasonal variation suggests that the deformation became non-stationary, with upward and downward transient displacements related to the charge and discharge of the aquifer following the changes between rainy and dry seasons.

Riverbank stability assessment under flooding conditions in the Red River of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Riverbank stability assessment under flooding conditions in the Red River of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Thi Toan Duong, Hideo Komine and others. Computers and Geotechnics, 2014, volume 61, pp. 178-189.

Abstract: The literature contains limited information on variations in the factors of safety (FOS) of riverbank stability associated with river water level (RWL) fluctuations. This paper analyses a case study on the portion of the Red River flowing through Hanoi using the finite element method and extending the mechanics of saturated and unsaturated soils to understand how the riverbank’s FOS varies with RWL fluctuations. The results show that hydrostatic force is one of the key parameters influencing the FOS when the soil’s hydraulic conductivity is less than 10−6 m/s. However, the pore-water pressure and rate of RWL change are the key parameters influencing the FOS when the hydraulic conductivity is greater than 10−6 m/s. The study also indicates that a surcharge of 50 kPa or higher significantly weakens the riverbank stability and influences the FOS when the RWL rises. The construction of residential or other structures without taking special protection measures within 50 m of the lateral riverbank should be avoided for safety reasons. [sci].


**Health  

Community mental health teams in low- and middle-income countries.
Community mental health teams in low- and middle-income countries.
R. Thara, S. John and S. Chatterjee. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2014, volume 23, number 2, pp. 119-22.

Abstract: The dearth of trained mental health professionals and the huge gap in providing accessible services in many low- and middle-income countries have led to the identification of alternate providers of care in these countries. Community mental health teams seem to fill this lacuna in some of these places. This editorial addresses issues of the need for such teams, their composition, responsibilities and limitations. With adequate training, these teams are able to carry out a broad array of tasks such a case identification, referrals, elementary counselling, family support and psychosocial interventions. While these teams are generally found to be enthusiastic, they require periodic monitoring and support with which they can well be a critical element of the mental health care team. .

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children who died from hand, foot and mouth disease in Vietnam, 2011.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children who died from hand, foot and mouth disease in Vietnam, 2011.
Ngoc TB Nguyen, Hau V Pham and others. BMC Infectious Diseases 2014, volume 14.

Abstract:

Background: In 2011, a large outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Vietnam resulted in 113,121 children seeking medical attention, of whom170 died. Understanding the epidemiology of fatal HFMD may improve treatment and help targeting prevention activities for vulnerable populations. We describe epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children who died from HFMD in Vietnam in 2011. –

Methods: Clinical data were obtained through reviewing medical records of the deaths occurring from January through December 2011 in all hospitals in Vietnam. Hospitals reported any deaths among patients with laboratory-confirmed enterovirus (EV) infection to the Ministry of Health. Data were extracted from the national database. –

Results: Of the 169 deaths reviewed for whom records were available, 87% were 3-year-old or younger, 69% were male, 18% attended daycare, 89% lived in Southern Vietnam, and 85% of the deaths occurred between May-October 2011. One hundred thirty (77%) cases sought treatment in a hospital within three days of onset of illness. Symptoms at admission included fever (98%), myoclonus (66%), vomiting (53%), oral ulcers (50%) and vesicular erythema (50%). One hundred six (75%) cases had leukocy tosis and 91 (54%) had hyperglycemia. One hundred three (61%) tested positive for EV, of which 84 (82%) were positive for EV71. –

Conclusions: Deaths associated with HFMD occurred throughout 2011 among males three years or younger who were cared for at home. The HFMD control program should focus on interventions at the household level. Clinicians should be alerted to symptoms suggestive of severe HFMD including fever, myoclonus, vomiting, oral ulcers and vesicles with high white blood cell count especially in young children. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2334-14-341.pdf.

An epidemiological investigation of Campylobacter in pig and poultry farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam.
An epidemiological investigation of Campylobacter in pig and poultry farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam.
J. J. Carrique-Mas, Je Bryant and others. Epidemiology and Infection, 2014, volume 142, number 7, pp. 1425-1436.

Abstract: Campylobacter are zoonotic pathogens commonly associated with gastroenteritis. To assess the relevance of Campylobacter in Vietnam, an economically transitioning country in SE Asia, we conducted a survey of 343 pig and poultry farms in the Mekong delta, a region characterized by mixed species farming with limited biosecurity. The animal-level prevalence of Campylobacter was 31.9%, 23.9% and 53.7% for chickens, ducks and pigs, respectively. C. jejuni was predominant in all three host species, with the highest prevalence in pigs in high-density production areas. Campylobacter isolates demonstrated high levels of antimicrobial resistance (21% and 100% resistance against ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, respectively). Multilocus sequence type genotyping showed a high level of genetic diversity within C. jejuni, and predicted C. coli inter-species transmission. We suggest that on-going intensification of animal production systems, limited biosecurity, and increased urbanization in Vietnam is likely to result in Campylobacter becoming an increasingly significant cause of human diarrhoeal infections in coming years.

Strengthening Primary Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Generating Evidence Through Evaluation.
Strengthening Primary Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Generating Evidence Through Evaluation.
John Rule, Duc Anh Ngo and others. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 2014, volume 26, number 4, pp. 339-348.

Abstract: Since the publication of the World Health Report 2008, there has been renewed interest in the potential of primary health care (PHC) to deliver global health policy agendas. The WHO Western Pacific Regional Strategy 2010 states that health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can be strengthened using PHC values as core principles. This review article explores the development of an evidence-based approach for assessing the effectiveness of PHC programs and interventions in LMICs. A realist review method was used to investigate whether there is any internationally consistent approach to evaluating PHC. Studies from LMICs using an explicit methodology or framework for measuring PHC effectiveness were collated. Databases of published articles were searched, and a review of gray literature was undertaken to identify relevant reports. The review found no consistent approach for assessing the effectiveness of PHC interventions in LMICs. An innovative approach used in China, which developed a set of core community health facility indicators based on stakeholder input, does show some potential for use in other LMIC contexts.

Student-Centred Outcomes of an E-learning Course on Public Health in Hanoi and New York.
Student-Centred Outcomes of an E-learning Course on Public Health in Hanoi and New York.
Bach Xuan Tran, Quyen Le Thi Nguyen and others. Community Medicine & Health Education, 2014, volume 4, number 3.

Abstract:

Background: We evaluated the satisfaction and improvement in learning outcomes of students taking a distance course in Public Health facilitated by the Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Hanoi Medical University and the State University of New York at Albany. –

Methods: A total of 36 students participated in pre- and post- course surveys online. We developed the Vietnamese E-Learning Student Outcomes Profile (VESOP) to evaluate the impact of distance learning methods on students’ learning outcomes. Factor analysis was applied to construct the measure items into five domains: Academic Skills, Intellectual Abilities, Interactions, Responsibility and Educational Engagement. Multivariate regression models, selected using stepwise approach, determined factors associated with changes in students’ learning outcomes. Student satisfaction with the course was assessed by determining their willingness to participate in and pay for future distance learning courses. –

Results: The students showed moderate improvement in “Interactions” and large improvements in the other four domains. Factors associated with improvements included previous academic performance, English proficiency, ease of access to the internet and computers, and time spent studying. All students passed the course, all would be willing to take another distance learning course, and 26 students would be willing to pay for such as course with certification. –

Conclusions: Findings of this study highlight the potential of distance learning as a complementary educational method that could greatly benefit Public Health students. It encourages and supports the development of such training programs for Public Health students in Vietnam. Free full text http://omicsonline.org/open-access/studentcentred-outcomes-of-an-elearning-course-on-public-health-in-hanoi-and-new-yor-2161-0711.1000288.pdf.

What interventions are effective on reducing inequalities in maternal and child health in low- and middle-income settings? A...
What interventions are effective on reducing inequalities in maternal and child health in low- and middle-income settings? A systematic review.
B. Yuan, M. Malqvist and others. BMC Public Health, 2014, volume 14, number 1, p. 634.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The deadline for achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 is approaching, but inequalities between disadvantaged and other populations is a significant barrier for progress towards achieving these goals. This systematic review aims to collect evidence about the differential effects of interventions on different sociodemographic groups in order to identify interventions that were effective in reducing maternal or child health inequalities.

METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE and other relevant databases. The reference lists of included reviews were also screened to find more eligible studies. We included experimental or observational studies that assessed the effects of interventions on maternal and child health, but only studies that report quantitative inequality outcomes were finally included for analysis.

RESULTS: 22 articles about the effectiveness of interventions on equity in maternal and child health were finally included. These studies covered five kinds of interventions: immunization campaigns, nutrition supplement programs, health care provision improvement interventions, demand side interventions, and mixed interventions. The outcome indicators covered all MDG 4 and three MDG 5 outcomes. None of the included studies looked at equity in maternal mortality, adolescent birth rate and unmet need for family planning. The included studies reported inequalities based on gender, income, education level or comprehensive socioeconomic status. Stronger or moderate evidence showed that all kinds of the included interventions may be more effective in improving maternal or child health for those from disadvantaged groups.

CONCLUSION: Studies about the effectiveness of interventions on equity in maternal or child health are limited. The limited evidence showed that the interventions that were effective in reducing inequity included the improvement of health care delivery by outreach methods, using human resources in local areas or provided at the community level nearest to residents and the provision of financial or knowledge support to demand side. [Yuan-etal-2014]. Free full text http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24952656.

Pharmacies as providers of expanded health services for people who inject drugs: a review of laws, policies, and barriers in...
Pharmacies as providers of expanded health services for people who inject drugs: a review of laws, policies, and barriers in six countries.
Theodore M Hammett, Son Phan and others. BMC Health Services Research, 2014, volume 14.

Abstract:

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) are underserved by health providers but pharmacies may be their most accessible care settings. –

Methods: Studies in the U.S., Russia, Vietnam, China, Canada and Mexico employed a three-level (macro-, meso-, and micro-) model to assess feasibility of expanded pharmacy services for PWID. Studies employed qualitative and quantitative interviews, review of legal and policy documents, and information on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of key stakeholders. –

Results: Studies produced a mixed assessment of feasibility. Provision of information and referrals by pharmacies is permissible in all study sites and sale and safe disposal of needles/syringes by pharmacies is legal in almost all sites, although needle/syringe sales face challenges related to attitudes and practices of pharmacists, police, and other actors. Pharmacy provision of HIV testing, hepatitis vaccination, opioid substitution treatment, provision of naloxone for drug overdose, and abscess treatment, face more serious legal and policy barriers. –

Discussion: Challenges to expanded services for drug users in pharmacies exist at all three levels, especially the macro-level characterized by legal barriers and persistent stigmatization of PWID. Where deficiencies in laws, policies, and community attitudes block implementation, stakeholders should advocate for needed legal and policy changes and work to address community stigma and resistance. Laws and policies are only as good as their implementation, so attention is also needed to meso- and micro- levels. Policies, attitudes, and practices of police departments and pharmacy chains as well as knowledge, attitudes, and practices of individual PWID, individual pharmacies, and police officers should support rather than undermine positive laws and expanded services. Despite the challenges, pharmacies remain potentially important venues for delivering health services to PWID. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-14-261.pdf.


**Transport  

The ASEAN Single Aviation Market: Liberalizing the Airline Industry.
The ASEAN Single Aviation Market: Liberalizing the Airline Industry.
Alan Khee-Jin Tan. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia policy brief, 2014.

Abstract: This Policy Brief presents an overview of the barriers facing air transport liberalization in ASEAN. It lays out the policies that governments should undertake to overcome these barriers, particularly in light of rapid changes in the aviation industry. It also assesses the incomplete or unfinished nature of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market (ASAM) that necessitates further liberalizing steps beyond 2015. In particular, more meaningful market access and ownership/control relaxations must be pursued to deal with the increasing competition from airlines outside the region. A united external policy is also required to enhance ASEAN’s negotiating position vis-á-vis other countries and blocs. Free full text http://www.eria.org/ERIA-PB-2014-04.pdf.


**Labor and Social protection

Foreign Wage Premium, Gender and Education: Insights from Vietnam Household Surveys.
Foreign Wage Premium, Gender and Education: Insights from Vietnam Household Surveys.
Emiko Fukase. World Economy, 2014, volume 37, number 6, pp. 834-855.

Abstract: This paper investigates the differential impacts of foreign ownership on wages for different types of workers (in terms of educational background and gender) in Vietnam using the Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys of 2002 and 2004. Whereas most previous studies have compared wage levels between foreign and domestic sectors using firm‐level data (thus excluding the informal sector), one advantage of using the Living Standards Surveys in this paper is that the data allow wage comparison analyses to extend to the informal wage sector. A series of Mincerian earnings equations and worker's specific fixed effects models are estimated. Several findings emerge. First, foreign firms pay higher wages relative to their domestic counterparts after controlling for workers' personal characteristics. Second, the higher the individual workers' levels of education, the larger on average are the wage premiums for those who work for foreign firms. Third, longer hours of work in foreign firm jobs relative to working in the informal wage sector are an important component of the wage premium. Finally, unskilled women experience a larger foreign wage premium than unskilled men, reflecting the low earning opportunities for women and a higher gender gap in the informal wage sector. [ssrn].

Social preferences are stable over long periods of time.
Social preferences are stable over long periods of time.
Fredrik Carlsson, Olof Johansson-Stenman and Pham Khanh Nam. Journal of Public Economics, 2014.

Abstract: We measure people’s pro-social behavior, in terms of voluntary money and labor contributions to an archetypical public good, a bridge, and in terms of voluntary money contributions in a public good game, using the same non-student sample in rural Vietnam at four different points in time from 2005 to 2011. Two of the observed events are actual voluntary contributions (one in terms of money and one in terms of labor), one is from a natural field experiment, and one is from an artefactual field experiment. Despite large contextual variations, we find a strong positive and statistically significant correlation between voluntary contributions, whether correcting for other covariates or not. This suggests that pro-social preferences are fairly stable over long periods of time and contexts. [sci].

Delivering social protection in the aftermath of a shock: Lessons from Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Viet Nam.
Delivering social protection in the aftermath of a shock: Lessons from Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Viet Nam.
Francesca Bastagli and Rebecca Holmes. ODI, 2014.

Abstract: Helping households cope with covariate shocks that affect entire communities, or large parts of a country’s population at the same time, is one of the objectives of social protection. In order to provide effective support in such circumstances, policies need to be timely, adaptive and adequate in terms of resources. This paper reviews the policy reforms aimed at scaling-up social protection provision, or protecting the poorest in the context of spending cuts, in the aftermath of shocks in Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Viet Nam, four countries which are subject to frequent covariate shocks and that have implemented a host of social protection policy adjustments. It identifies the main challenges encountered in social protection shock response and the trade-offs associated with alternative social protection instruments and policy adjustment options. The paper also discusses recent developments in securing adequate social protection financing and preparedness for shock response. Free full text http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8991.pdf.

Negotiating Public and Legal Spaces: The Emergence of an LGBT Movement in Vietnam.
Negotiating Public and Legal Spaces: The Emergence of an LGBT Movement in Vietnam.
P. Oosterhoff, T.A. Hoang and T.T. Quach. IDS Evidence Report 74, 2014.

Abstract: Vietnam’s laws, policies and decrees do not explicitly discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals but their rights are not legally protected and they are socially marginalised.  The state promotes a model of a married heterosexual couple with two children in the media and through its public policy campaigns. Families that comply are able to obtain membership of the Communist Party and run for office; women are eligible for micro-credit programmes. Same-sex couples cannot marry and are thus ineligible for the benefits that married couples enjoy. Family laws, with regard to child custody, inheritance and property, do not protect same-sex couples. In order to understand how LGBT civil society organisations can affect legal and social change with regard to the laws that regulate sexual norms and unions, this empirical study explores the following two examples of collective action in Vietnam: 1. The mobilisation strategies of civil society organisations to hold gay pride events. 2. Collective action to legalise same-sex ceremonies and marriages. Free full text https://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/negotiating-public-and-legal-spaces-the-emergence-of-an-lgbt-movement-in-vietnam.


**Poverty

The role of villages in households' poverty exit: evidence from a multilevel model for rural Vietnam.
The role of villages in households' poverty exit: evidence from a multilevel model for rural Vietnam.
Bruno Arpino and Arnstein Aassve. Quality and Quantity, 2014, volume 48, number 4, pp. 2175-2189.

Abstract: Vietnam experienced a dramatic drop in overall poverty during the 90s. However, the poverty reduction showed substantial variation across households, villages and regions. Using a multilevel model on panel data from the rural sample of the Vietnam Living Standard Measurement Survey we demonstrate the important role of villages in household poverty exit dynamics. We also show how an analysis of village-level random effects predictions can help targeting of policies to reduce poverty.

Doing resistance their own way: counter-narratives of street vending in Hanoi, Vietnam through solicited journaling.
Doing resistance their own way: counter-narratives of street vending in Hanoi, Vietnam through solicited journaling.
Noelani Eidse and Sarah Turner. Area, 2014.

Abstract: This paper explores the strengths and complexities of using solicited journals/diaries with a marginalised, itinerant population in Vietnam's capital city Hanoi. We draw on journals completed by Hanoi street vendors to better understand the everyday lived experiences of a population targeted by state officials for fines and retribution. Since 2008, street vending has been banned on a number of streets and public spaces in Hanoi. Yet concurrently, livelihood options for those without formal education or skills are increasingly limited. Based on solicited journals kept by street vendors during 2012, we find that journals provide a channel for everyday politics and subtle resistance measures to be reflected on by research participants, and for detailed understandings of state–society relations to emerge. Moreover, from an analysis of participants' journal entries as well as de-briefing interviews, we consider the strengths and complexities of this qualitative method, situated within a context of state-induced fear among an itinerant and sometimes non-literate population. While the strengths of the approach became quickly apparent in the detailed and insightful narratives we received, literacy limitations, vendor feelings of inadequacy regarding journal entry style and complications regarding a sense of obligation to us as researchers raise a number of concerns. Researchers must therefore reflect carefully on the practicalities, ethics and power relations involved with this method. Nonetheless, we also note how participants became inspired to rework the journaling process to meet their own needs and were empowered to circumnavigate state controls to voice counter-narratives of their rights to the street. [wiley].


**Tourism

Souvenir sellers and perceptions of authenticity – The retailers of Hội An, Vietnam.
Souvenir sellers and perceptions of authenticity – The retailers of Hội An, Vietnam.
Thu Thi Trinh, Chris Ryan and Jenny Cave. Tourism Management, 2014, volume 45, pp. 275-283.

Abstract: Authenticity has long been a theme within the tourism literature, but relatively little has been written about the attitudes of souvenir retailers. This paper, based on a combination of case study and micro-ethnographic approaches, reports findings derived from interviews with 25 souvenir retailers in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hoi An, Vietnam. It uses a thematic and content analysis aided by the use of textual analysis software to identify dichotomous yet holistic perceptions on the part of the retailers. They seek to sell souvenirs perceived as authentic of Hoi An, yet source both nationally and locally. The items are thus representative of Hoi An and Vietnam, and these attitudes can be justified by an appeal to the past trading heritage of the ancient city. The retailers also perceive tourists as potential ‘prosumers’ who create their own experiential authenticity. [sci].





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