Information on the thesis "Analysis of the Social Transformation Impact of Appropriate Technologies on Rural Development in Vietnam (Case Study of Biogas Technology and Improved Cooking Stoves)" by graduate student Vu Thi Ngoc Loan, majoring in Science and Technology Management.1. Student's Full Name: Vu Thi Ngoc Loan 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of Birth: January 15, 1979 4. Place of Birth: Yen Yen, Nam Dinh 5. Decision No. 2551/2007/QD-XHNV-KH&SDH dated November 2, 2007, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the student as a postgraduate student. 6. Changes during the training process: 7. Thesis Title: Analysis of the Social Transformation Impact of Appropriate Technologies on Rural Development in Vietnam (Case Study of Biogas Technology and Improved Cooking Stoves) 8. Specialization: Science and Technology Management; Code: 603472 9. Scientific Advisor: Dr. Tran Ngoc Ca, National Science and Technology Policy Council. 10. Summary of thesis results: In rural Vietnam, the general level of education and access to new technologies is very difficult. However, in recent years, thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, many preferential policies for technology development in rural areas have been issued, giving people in rural areas more opportunities to access technology. Indeed, many technologies, even simple ones, brought to rural areas have brought about enormous social changes. The research results show that appropriate technologies, specifically biogas technology and improved cooking stoves, applied and implemented in rural Vietnam have truly had a positive impact in many aspects: They reduce the burden of housework for women through fuel and cooking time savings, saving time in gathering firewood, and making cooking more convenient. The biogas system has a positive impact on the environment and health, helping localities address a fundamental part of environmental pollution from livestock farming, improving toilets and livestock pens. Before the biogas system, household waste disposal was unsanitary, causing environmental pollution. The improved cooking stoves reduce smoke and dust, decrease environmental pollution, and reduce deforestation. Surveys show that 94% believe the use of improved cooking stoves reduces smoke and dust, 87% believe it also reduces environmental pollution, and 44% believe it contributes to reducing deforestation. The biogas system has also changed the habits of rural people; specifically, households are now almost entirely replacing their previous cooking fuels (wood, straw, coal, or liquefied petroleum gas) with biogas technology. Biogas plants directly bring convenience to people's lives, such as the use of high-quality fuel, clean and hygienic facilities and livestock pens, and a convenient lifestyle similar to urban life. In addition, biogas plants help people treat waste, preventing pollution; using biogas by-products helps people replace fertilizers; and they create a self-contained economic development path for families because to have more fuel, they must raise livestock, and for livestock to thrive, they need feed and fuel, which, and a portion of the feed, comes from the biogas plant. They also contribute to improving gender equality; specifically, the use of improved cooking stoves helps women protect their health, reduces the time spent gathering firewood and cooking, and makes cooking more enjoyable for men, thus giving women more time to care for themselves and participate in social activities. This study has significantly raised awareness of the need to improve kitchens, creating a positive new cultural element in rural Vietnam, where discrimination against women remains prevalent. However, the research also shows that, alongside the many positive impacts that appropriate technology has brought to rural people, there are still limitations that require further research and improvement to make the models more suitable. For example, some opinions suggest that the current improved stoves are difficult to light, cannot accommodate different pot sizes, and still release smoke through the burner opening, suggesting the need for a secondary opening for easier ash removal. Regarding biogas technology, as the scale of livestock farming expands in the future, the current biogas system may become too small. Furthermore, many people do not yet fully understand and believe in the benefits of appropriate technology. Several solutions for scaling up appropriate technologies in rural Vietnam include: Firstly, strengthening and diversifying communication efforts to raise public awareness of the benefits of appropriate technologies. Main forms of communication include: through mass media such as books, newspapers, radio, and television; and leveraging the communication role of social organizations such as the Farmers' Association, Women's Association, and Veterans' Association, which have the ability to widely influence their members through targeted group communication activities. Secondly, expanding the market and gradually commercializing based on: strengthening promotion, joint ventures, and collaborations in research to improve existing models, designing and introducing new, suitable models; technology transfer; and mobilizing private sector participation and establishing centers and facilities specializing in the production and distribution of these models to the market. Third, support activities are needed: Strengthen links with domestic and foreign organizations and agencies in providing capital and technical support to people for building biogas facilities and improved cooking stoves (especially credit institutions, banks, etc.); establish several support models such as revolving capital funds, and women's savings groups to provide capital for poor families to build biogas facilities and improved cooking stoves. Fourth, continue to build, supplement, and improve the main system: The State needs to research and formulate appropriate policies, prioritizing the introduction of suitable technologies to rural areas; research and establish national programs, such as a national program on biogas technology and improved cooking stoves. The establishment of a national program aims at: Developing the program on a nationwide scale; having state policies and guidelines to facilitate implementation by localities; and having a sufficiently strong human resource to direct, manage, 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 is 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.
