In the development of hydropower schemes, displaced rural people generally receive financial compensation for their losses. But they still face significant challenges in adapting to new places and building viable livelihoods.
To provide support in such circumstances, the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics has developed a publication that offers researchers guidelines on how best to engage with marginalized, ethnic-minority farming communities in the Greater Mekong region, with a focus on enabling rural people to access and benefit from research innovations. Sonali Senaratna Sellamuttu, a senior researcher with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and head of the Institute’s office in Southeast Asia, co-authored the publication.
The document derives from a review of literature on ethnic minorities and agriculture in China and Vietnam, a gender norms study carried out at a village in Northwest Vietnam, three expert workshops, and in-depth qualitative research in two villages of Northwest Vietnam as well as one district in Northern Lao PDR.