※ This project named “Project for Rural Development by Local Initiative of the Ethnic Minority Communities in Nam Giang District” which has been implemented as a "Grassroots Technical Cooperation Project" undertaken by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Issues the Project Tackles

Mountainous area in central region, where ethnic minority people reside, remains in poor conditions despite continued economic growth of Vietnam. It is necessary to develop villages in self-reliant manner to minimize the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

Background of the Issues

We have implemented an integrated community development project from 2001 to 2007 in Nam Giang district, Quang Nam province, which is in mountainous area in central Vietnam. “Catu Traditional Handicraft Assistance Project” derived from that integrated project has been implemented over four years from 2008 and promoted income generation of Catu ethnic group utilizing their traditional woven cloths. These projects brought not only local economic growth but also changes in enhancing a feeling of self-worth and self-confidence among the people.

※ "Vietnam – Catu ethnic minority Community Based Tourism Project" - Click here for details.
Furthermore, these projects became a momentum for government officers and local people who have been aspiring for the industrialization to begin exploring a possibility of self-reliant tourism development (Community Based Tourism) utilizing abundant local resources such as unique Catu tradition, culture, and society and rich nature.
Therefore, since 2012, we have implemented “Tourism development project for revitalizing ethnic minority area" at Tabhing Commune, one of 12 Communes in Nam Giang District for 4 years, aiming at the improvement of people’s livelihood, the conservation of local resources and the development of these values through tourism development utilizing traditional culture of Catu ethnic minority and local natural resources. We can see the self-reliant development in the target area through this project.
However, there are more 11 communes besides Tabhing Commune in Nam Giang District. The development of Tabhing through the tourism development has stimulated widely across the district and become the momentum for other communes to develop their local community. In other communes, it is likely to have sufficient potentials for local community development including not only tourism but craft techniques, agricultural production and food processing as well. However, in these communes, there are some major problems such as lacking necessary human resources and adequate support system by the government. Therefore, it is expected from Quang Nam Province and other provinces of the country that Nam Giang District could overcome these problems and create a model of regional development.

* Commune: Upper administrative unit of "village"

Project Purpose

In Nam Giang District, FIDR aims to develop a model (including human resources development, public and private support system, marketing system, regional resource development method) to promote sustainable and comprehensive regional development of ethnic minority groups, as well as to promote the regional sustainable development leading by local residents.

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Project Period

FY2016 ~ FY2019