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A socio-anthropological research on waste management in Vietnam

Ph Phong town, Ty Sn district & Binh nh town, An Nhn district Binh nh province, Vit Nam
14.12.2011

Mikala LE MEUR
Masters degree Anthropology of social dynamics and development Universit de Provence Aix-Marseille 1 (France) Universit Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)

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Objectives of the presentation

Present the activities of a field research of 4 months Present raw data Present key issues for a future indepth analysis Araise a reflexion on solid waste and waste water issues

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Methology
Empirical research :
Several stays in local peoples house :
Observation, participation, perception of the field Let the main issues come up (less preconceived ideas as possible)

Informal and long dicussions

Semi-directed interviews (no questionnaires) Get to know what people want to say, not only what we want to know

Qualitative enquiry:
No sample, no numbers, no statistics BUT

Examplification : experiences, stories from inhabitants

In depth knowledge on some specific issues

Comprehensive research:
Stakeholder analysis
Quantitiy and diversity of interviews : different social, economical, age status

Spatial analysis => Feedback from the field

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The field : two changing towns

Ph Phong & Binh nh
Biggest towns in two districts Current entitlement to become provincial towns

Binh nh :
Higher density, higher potential incomes, higher geographical constraints Two big problems : Tran Phu street ; the market

Phu Phong :
Lower density, rural areas, longer distances : waste problem is more diffuse

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Satellite view of Binh Dinh town

(google maps)

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Habited areas in Binh Dinh commune

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Satellite view of Phu Phong commune

(google maps)

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Habited areas in Phu Phong town

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Daily practices of inhabitants

Clean waste (branches, leaves, plastic bags) vs Dirty waste (left over, dead animals) (Binh Dinh, interview
8.12.2011)

Burning waste :
still very used, also for plastic bags in rural areas (sometimes in centers too)

Burying waste
Even used to level up the land building houses without cleaning the land

Feeding animals with left over : a rural practice Waste separation :

only recyclable but quite widespread practice

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Waste collection and cleaning services

Perception from households
The collection is not regular Reasons :
Bad quality of trucks (breakdowns) Not enough trucks, long distances Low collection fee

Problems :
Waiting waste : bags often damaged because of animals, rain) Basket/bag issue : no care from the collectors

Fee collection and participation

Price is in general perceived as reasonable (if the service reaches the house ! Not if too long distance) In the new areas, starting is difficult : lower quality// new fee. Binh Dinh town : deficit of the cooperative engender a plan to double the price (households who know this information dont agree with it because the quality of the service doesnt improve enough)

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Cleaning streets
Public streets (with public buildings)
Are swept regularly by the compagny/cooperative of Waste coll. Lower care from the people when they know a sweeper comes ?

Other streets (majority of the tows)

Sweeping relies on the families (clean only in front of their houses) Problem : no house, no sweeping Need good social link and good relationships between neighbours

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Markets : a particular waste issue

Anyway, markets are never clean, are they? (Binh Dinh, interview 22.09.2011)

Markets are at crossroads of all activities

Many products (especially organic) Many people come every day (buyers and sellers) They dont live in the area so they dont care as much as neighbours for the environment

Two institutions must cooperate :

Market management board : inside Waste collection : outside Where is the borderline between both responsibilities?

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An active economical sector : the recyclable waste dealers

The collectors :
Poor ladies, cycle as far as they can

The local byers :

Family enterprises Some young people with university diplomas (accountant in Binh Dinh) Some own a truck (HCMC, Quy Nhon, Danang)

Starting local treatment (Dap Da)

Problem : to many intermediaries so income of the people at the end of the chain is very low Interviewees deplore the lack of help and consideration from public authorities

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Rural examples
An eco-firendly family livestock farming (~ 30 pigs)
Collect left-over from restaurants and a few families Cook left-over to feed the pigs Leafs, coconuts, branches used as combustible (even plastic bags are burnt) Sewage from pigs and from the house is treated by the biogaz system and aliment the fire for cooking

We dont produce any waste ! (Phu Phong, interview 1.10.2011)

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Pollution issues
The pollution is always a problem of otherness :
Pollution because : people come at night ; people from the alleys ; people from other communes ; [] other residential areas ; farmers etc. City people have a bad perception of the farmers

Urban/Rural habit :
Rural habit not necessarely unfriendly with environment but generally not adapted when population density raises Urban habit : relies to much on waste collection and if waste collection is not perfect, people engender a big pollution

Waste is what you move away, you keep off, out of sight
in front of their neighbors house, at the end of the street but theres always someone at the end of the road Potential conflicts in the neighborhood

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Pollution issues
Rivers, canals, ponds

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Water pollution in Phu Phong town

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Water pollution in Binh Dinh town

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Pollution issues
Sewage system
Lack of sewage canals Lack of toilets in rural areas Problem of sewage from animals (few biogaz) Even if there is a sewage system : the waste water goes directly to the fields, rivers, canals witouth treatment Lack of public toilets (Phu Phong market)

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The margins
Growing towns
New residential areas Hamlets added recently to the communes

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Phu Phongs margins

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The margins
Waste collection service by truck
Dependency on the quality of the roads Alleys : urban margins still have no cimentized roads Long distances

Higher and higher density

Even rural areas High concentration of waste unhabited land or vacant land (graveyards, unallocated plots of land) : no care

These margins are at stake and have to focus more attention !

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Opportunities
Mesophilic bin and biopod :
Good reception of one of the mesophilic bin in Binh Dinh Neighboors interested, tried to build their own with different material

Alleys in urban centers : no waste collection reaches (no truck, rarely pushcarts)
But : close relationship among the neighbours Informal women (or men) gathering (tea, coffe, discussions), a good unit?

Awareness raising :
Waste issue and cleanness of roads is a collective issue
Need discussions among neighbours to let the problems come up More concern about little daily problems than abstract global issues

Make the most of existing good examples :

Organising visits of the Zero waste livestook farming etc. Supporting local initatives is an opportunity to reduce the burden of public policies (budget etc.)

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People are aware of environment and want to discuss !

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