Understanding the role of informal sector for sustainable development of municipal solid waste management system: A case study in Vietnam.

Although the informal sector of waste collection has an important role in income diversification for the poor and contribution to waste recycling, this sector is still not recognised in any government official policies and is usually underestimated in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This paper employs a systems thinking approach to analyse the crucial roles of the informal sector in solid waste management (SWM) system in Vietnam. From a circular economy viewpoint, the flow diagram was built for the first time, which could integrate the actors and activities of the informal sector into a wider SWM system in Vietnam. The map focuses on analysing the contributions and activities of the informal sector, focusing on its roles and impacts on the recycling system. This paper then employed the systems thinking approach to further analyse the systematic problem of the informal sector. The analysis builds on the field survey including elements and key driving forces of the systems with 36 scrap dealers, 127 scrap buyers, and 760 households and in-depth interviews with experts in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnam. Based on the practices and experience in waste-related activities of informal sector, this sector should be integrated into the general waste management process. With the relevance of informal systems, the authorities could establish an effective waste recycling system, and improve the livelihoods and working conditions of those involved, especially the poor.

Perceptions and responses to rising salinity intrusion in the Mekong River Delta: What drives a long-term community-based strategy?

This study analyses data on perceptions of the adverse impacts of salinity intrusion on rice farming in the Mekong River Delta. Collected via interviews with the head of 441households and several focus group meetings, the data is used to provide an understanding of current adaptation or coping strategies and, from the insights gained, make recommendations for the management of this increasing challenge. We find that most households are concerned about the impact of salinity intrusion on their livelihood and their capacity to cope in the future. Some strategies are already failing and many farmers will struggle to adapt in the medium-term. Censored generalised Poisson regression and negative binomial regression models are used to identify and test the effectiveness of alternative management strategies. The results suggest that farmers have a preference for the construction of dykes as a means to prevent salinity intrusion. We conclude that farmer willingness to support the construction and improvement of dykes can be improved by providing more information and training.

Inferred valuation versus conventional contingent valuation: A salinity intrusion case study.

People's willingness-to-pay values may be inflated by a variety of influences (e.g. hypothetical bias), which means that stated preference validity tests remain relevant. Recently developed inferred valuation approaches may serve to identify and/or reduce inflated stated preference values. However, economic applications of inferred valuation approaches are relatively limited in the literature, and the evidence remains mixed. This paper examines farmers' willingness-to-pay for salinity intrusion mitigation programs in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam using both conventional contingent and inferred valuation approaches. Inferred valuation estimates were as much as 31 per cent lower than conventional estimates of willingness-to-pay, and averaged about 24 per cent lower across the groups. We discuss these findings, and the role that commitment costs and provision point mechanism payment vehicles may play. Public policy implications for any future salinity intrusion mitigation program are also outlined.