Thesis information "Analysis of social change impacts of appropriate technology for rural development in Vietnam (Case study of Biogas technology and Improved Cookstoves)" by HVCH Vu Thi Ngoc Loan, majoring in Science and Technology Management.1. Full name of student: Vu Thi Ngoc Loan 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of birth: January 15, 1979 4. Place of birth: Y Yen, Nam Dinh 5. Decision to recognize graduate students No.: 2551/2007/QD-XHNV-KH&SĐH dated November 2, 2007 by the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. 6. Changes in the training process: 7. Thesis topic: Analysis of the social change impact of appropriate technology for rural development in Vietnam (Case study of Biogas technology and Improved Cookstoves) 8. Major: Science and Technology Management; Code: 603472 9. Scientific supervisor: Dr. Tran Ngoc Ca, National Council for Science and Technology Policy. 10. Summary of the results of the thesis: In rural Vietnam, in terms of population knowledge, the conditions for accessing new technology are very difficult. However, in recent years, with the attention of the Party and the State, many preferential policies for technology development in rural areas have been issued, people in rural areas have many opportunities to access technology. In fact, many technologies, even simple ones, brought to rural areas have brought about enormous social changes. The research results show that appropriate technology, specifically Biogas technology and Improved Cooking Stoves, applied and deployed in rural Vietnam, have had a positive impact in many aspects: Impact on reducing the burden of housework for women, through saving fuel and cooking time, saving time in collecting firewood, and convenient cooking. Impact on improving the environment and health, Biogas projects have helped localities to fundamentally solve the problem of environmental pollution from livestock farming, renovating toilets and livestock barns, because in reality, when there was no Biogas project, the treatment of livestock waste of households was not hygienic, causing environmental pollution. Improved cooking stoves reduce smoke and dust, reduce environmental pollution and reduce deforestation. The survey showed that 94% said that using Improved Cooking Stoves has the effect of reducing smoke and dust, 87% of respondents said that using Improved Cooking Stoves also has the effect of reducing environmental pollution and 44% said that it contributes to reducing deforestation. The impact has changed the habits of rural people, specifically using Biogas technology, households almost completely use Biogas to replace fuels for previous cooking activities (using firewood, straw, coal or liquefied gas). Biogas projects directly bring comfortable life to people such as using high quality fuel, auxiliary works, clean and beautiful barns, convenient like urban life... Besides, Biogas projects help people treat waste to avoid pollution; using Biogas by-products helps people replace fertilizers; creating a closed family economic development direction for families because if you want a lot of fuel, you have to raise livestock, if you want livestock to develop, you have to have food and fuel sources, and this fuel source and part of the food source are taken from Biogas projects. Impact on improving gender equality, specifically using Improved Cookstoves helps women protect their health, reduce the time spent on collecting firewood, cooking, and men feel interested in cooking, so women have time to take care of themselves, participate in social activities. Thereby, it has really raised awareness of the need to renovate the kitchen, creating a new and very positive cultural element in rural Vietnam, where discrimination against women is still very heavy. However, the study also shows that, besides the many positive impacts that appropriate technology has brought to rural people, there are still limitations that need to continue to study and improve the model to make it more suitable, because the current improved stove still has opinions that: the stove is difficult to light a fire, cannot cook many different sizes of pots, smoke still escapes through the stove door, so a side door should be designed to make it easier to remove the ash; for Biogas technology in the future, the livestock scale of many households can be expanded, so the size of the current Biogas plant becomes too small; at the same time, many people do not really understand and believe in the effects of appropriate technology. Some solutions to replicate appropriate technology in rural Vietnam: Firstly, strengthen and diversify communication work to raise people's awareness of the benefits of appropriate technology. The main forms of communication are: through mass media such as newspapers, radio, television; promoting the communication role of social organizations such as: Farmers' Association, Women's Association, Veterans' Association... which are organizations with the ability to widely influence their members through communication activities according to target groups. Secondly, expand the market, gradually commercialize on the basis of: Strengthening promotion, joint ventures, and associations in research to perfect existing models, design and introduce new suitable models; Technology transfer; Mobilizing private sectors to participate and organize centers and facilities specializing in production and distribution of models to the market. Third, there should be support activities: Strengthening links with domestic and foreign organizations and agencies in providing capital and technical support for people to build Biogas works and Improved Cookstoves (especially credit institutions, banks, etc.); establishing a number of support models such as revolving funds, establishing women's savings groups to provide capital for poor families to build Biogas works and Improved Cookstoves. Fourth, continuing to build, supplement and perfect the main system: The State needs to research and formulate appropriate policies, focusing on prioritizing the introduction of appropriate technology to rural areas; researching and establishing national programs, such as the national program on Biogas technology and Improved Cookstoves. The establishment of a national program aims to: Develop the program on a national scale; Have state policies and guidelines for localities to easily deploy and implement; Have strong enough human resources to direct, operate and implement the program.
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: Vu Thi Ngoc Loan 2. Sex: Female 3. Date of birth: 15th January 1979 4. Place of birth: Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province 5. Admission decision number: 2551/2007/QD-XHNV-KH&SDH on 2nd November 2007 by the Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanity, Vietnam National University, Ha Noi. 6. Changes in academic process: None 7. Thesis title: Analysis of the impacts on the changing of the society by relevant technology to rural development in Vietnam (case study on biogas and improved cookstove) 8. Major: Technology and Science Management; Code: 603472 9. Supervisor: PhD. Tran Ngoc Ca, Council of National Science and Technology Policy 10. Summary of the thesis: It is difficult to access the technology in rural areas of Vietnam in regard to intellectual standards of people. Howeve, in the recent years, thanks to proper attention of the Party and the Government, policies for technology development have been released, especially those subjected to rural areas that facilitate rural people's access to technology. It is indeed that, despite being simple, many technologies have brought profound social change when they are applied in rural areas. Outcomes of the research have shown that relevant technologies such as biogas and improved cookstoves that have been carried out in various rural areas of Vietnam archived multi-facet positive impacts: Release women's household chores, by saving cooking fuel and time for cooking, collecting fuel-wood, facilitates. Improvement of health and environment, biogas technology has helped localities solve primary air pollution caused by animal husbandry, ranging from raising animals to repair breeding facilities. In fact, before the application of biogas technology, waste treatment of the household had not been carried out hygienically – the cause of environmental pollution. The improved cook-stoves were meant to reduce smoke; to lessen deforestation so as to take part in preserving our environment. The survey's outcomes pointed out that 94% of people said the use of improved cook-stove diminishes smoke; while 87% of interviewees claimed that cook-stove also reduces environmental pollution and 44% added it slow down deforestation. Impacts on changing rural people's behaviors, ie, once applying biogas, people mostly use gas as an alternative fuel for previous sources such as wood, straws, charcoal and LPG for cooking activities in the family. There are many benefits using biogas such as the availability of clean and highly qualified cooking fuel; the cleanliness of toilets and breeding facilities, which are as convenient as those in the city. In addition, biogas helps reduce the environment pollution; provide fertilizer for farming which facilitates a circle of economic development because in order to enhance the availability of plenty of gas is demanded, it needs to expand animal heads, so it leads to the increase of food and inputs. These inputs are partly taken from the biogas digester. Impacts on the encouragement of gender equality, women can improve their health from using improved cook-stove by saving time for fuel collecting and cooking. The time saved shall be spent on taking care of themselves and taking part in social affairs. Men also show their interest using this technology in their kitchen. These benefits create the necessity to upgrade the kitchen, forming a positive cultural factor in rural areas of Vietnam where the discrimination against women is still severe. However, besides the positive factors brought into life by these technologies, the research also showed out challenges that need further improvements. For example, there were several ideas stated that the improved cook-stoves make it difficult to start firing; it cannot be used with different sizes of pots; smoke is still going out through the fire hole; minor hole should be designed for getting the ash out more easily. For biogas, the animal herbs of the families shall be expanded in the future the existing size of biogas digesters will be too small to meet the inputs. In addition, many people are not aware of and believe in the impact of the relevant technology. There are certain solutions for the expansion of relevant technologies in rural areas of Vietnam: Firstly, Enhancement and diversification of communication campaigns to raise people's awareness on the benefits of relevant technologies. The main communication means should be named as mass media (books, news papers, radio, television); mass organization with propaganda functions such as Peasant's Union, Women's Union; Veteran's Union. These organizations have the abilities to reach their members in great amounts through various group communication activities. Secondly, Development of the market towards gradually commercialization based on: intensification of advertisement, collaboration in designing new models and improving the existing ones; transfer of technologies; encouragement of private involvement; and establishment of center and units which are specialized in manufacturing and distributing products to the market. Thirdly. Support and Subsidies are needed: Collaboration with various domestic and international organizations should be strengthened to assist finance and techniques to families who build biogas digesters and improved cook-stoves (especially the credit units and banks...); Setting up of certain financial models such as revolving funds; Women's saving group to support finance to poor families in building biogas digesters and improvied cook-stoves. Fourthly, Continuation of compiling, adding and finalizing policies: Proper and suitable policies should be planned, of which relevant technologies should be prioritized to rural areas; Consideration to upgrade biogas and improved cook-stoves to the national programs. The objectives of these national programs are to carry out the national activities; to release the government's guidelines for the convenient and smooth conduction by localities; and to have efficient personnel for steering and executing the programs.
