The use of forest resources by ethnic minority women in Northwest-Vietnam
1997
Dang-Tung-Hoa
Yen Chau district is a typical highland area characterized by narrow valleys and towering mountain chains, with steep slopes in the drainage area of the Black River. More than 80 % of the land is classified as forest. At present, however, forest actually covers only 10 % of the area. The typical lowland pattern of land use, especially wet rice cultivation, has become widespread in the mountainous areas. Explosive harvesting of wood by commercial timber cutting operations, and thecutting down of trees by members of the local population employed by these logging businesses, have led to a shrinking of forest resources. High levels of population growth, and the flooding of the Black River and its tributaries as a consequence of theHoa Binh Dam project, are increasing the pressure on the remaining forest resources. A project of the GTZ, with the goal of encouraging appropriate land use in an area consisting of two provinces bordering the river, will study gender specific aspects of the use of forest resources in five villages. This helps to channel suggestions focusing on commercial forestry and the management of forest resources. The future development measures need to take account of the important role of women in the family and in village society. The data for this study were collected in 1994 and 1995. The research concentrates on the three largest highland ethnic groups, the Thai, Hmong and Kinh. The three groups are differentiated by language, settlement area, their traditional ways of exploiting natural resources and in the ways the division of labour, according to gender roles, is defined.
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This bibliographic record has been provided by ZB MED Nutrition. Environment. Agriculture