Livelihood Transformation among Ethnic Minority Communities in Vietnam’s Central Highlands: Land-Use Change, Migration, and Environmental Governance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FS.2026.06.20.04Keywords:
Central Highlands, Vietnam, environmental governance, ethnic minority communities, land-use change, livelihood transformation, migration.Abstract
Over the last thirty years, the livelihood systems of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands of Vietnam have been affected by a range of interrelated factors, including rapid land-use change, shifts in migration patterns, and evolving systems of environmental governance. This paper examines how these factors interrelate to reshape livelihood structures and access to resources among people living in mountainous areas. It employs a combination of approaches, including household surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and analysis of policy documents, conducted in the provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum. The study analyses the socio-economic and institutional factors driving changes in livelihoods. The findings indicate that changes in forest landscapes and reduced access to customary land are associated with the expansion of commercially oriented agriculture, particularly coffee and rubber cultivation, hydropower development, and newly implemented forest governance systems. Migration dynamics have affected both land and labour, contributing to shifts in traditional livelihood systems. Environmental governance measures, such as Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES), have created opportunities for supplementary income, although payments remain low and tenure insecurity remains a constraint. The study further shows that livelihood transformation in the Central Highlands is not a simple linear process but rather a complex interaction of changes in economic activities, social relations, and governance arrangements. It highlights the importance of more inclusive environmental governance frameworks that enhance tenure security, support livelihood diversification, and recognise the contributions of customary institutions in forest management.
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