Impact of accessibility on the range of livelihood options available to farm households in mountainous areas of northern Viet Nam

Abstract

The comparison of two sets of rural villages in the province of Bac Kan that differ in accessibility allowed the examination of the influence of roads on livelihood systems of farming households. Villages far from roads still depend heavily on agriculture. With little influence from outside, the farmers in these villages must develop their own initiatives to secure their livelihoods. In contrast, farmers in villages that are close to roads can more easily take advantage of non-farm opportunities for income generation. Ease of transport and access to the marketplace are the most important assets of these villages in the view of the inhabitants. Government and non-government agencies adapt their activities in rural development according to the accessibility of the target populations. However, farmers are critical of most projects that were not based on their perceived needs. To smooth the transition to accessibility, goverment services need to support participatory locally-driven initiatives.