A Feasibility Study for the Establishment of Xuan Lien Nature ...

Section 2 - Site Features
Demographics
The socio-economic survey was based upon population census data and statistics from the administration
of each commune. According to 1997 data, there are 34,298 people in 5,849 households in Thuong
Xuan district. The average household consists of six people in two or three generations. However, some
households contain more than 10 people in three or four generations.
Population Density. The average population density in the area is 45 people/km 2 . However, the
population is unevenly distributed between and within the different communes. People are usually
concentrated in or near the district town and along roads, while the population is very sparse in high
mountainous areas. Specifically, the population density in the nine communes in the nature reserve and
the buffer zone is:
20
• Less than 20 inhabitants/km 2 in Bat Mot and Xuan Lien communes.
• 20 to 40 inhabitants/km 2 in Yen Nhan, Xuan My and Xuan Le communes.
• 40 to 100 inhabitants/km 2 in Xuan Khao and Van Xuan communes.
• 100 to 150 inhabitants/km 2 in Luong Son and Xuan Cam communes.
Population Growth Rate. The population growth rate for the whole area is high (2.8%), compared to
the average national growth rate (2.3%). The reasons for the high growth rate are low levels of education
and lack of effective family planning, particularly in remote areas. Household surveys showed that each
couple has, on average, four to five children, with some couples having up to 10 children.
Ethnic Composition. Although several different ethnic groups live in the area, the Thai form the
overwhelming majority (99.8%) of the population. Other, smaller groups include the Kinh, Tay and
H’mong, although some of these smaller groups can be considered to have effectively merged with the
main group. Villages are usually located near water sources and fertile land, suitable for cultivation and
animal husbandry.
Economic Activities
Agricultural Practices. In recent years, fixed cultivation has expanded, with a corresponding decrease
in shifting cultivation. Agriculture has also diversified from rice production and now includes cultivation
of subsidiary crops and short-rotation industrial crops. Total food production is 7,624 tonnes/year of
which rice accounts for 5,115 tonnes/year. Crop production, in both absolute and per capita terms, is
increasing each year due to investment in new technologies, fertiliser and irrigation. However, food
production varies year by year due to the following reasons:
• Only one variety of rice is grown.
• Crop yield is dependent on climatic conditions because irrigation is not developed sufficiently
and there are only low fertiliser inputs.
• Rice is mainly cultivated in hill fields and yields are very low (0.7 to 0.8 tonnes/ha/year).
• Agricultural pests regularly damage rice crops and, in some years, may completely destroy
the crop, as occurred in Duc and Kheo villages, Bat Mot commune in 1998.
The area for production of subsidiary crops, such as maize, cassava and peanuts, varies from year to
year. The yield for these crops varies between years but is generally low.
Although most households practice wet (paddy) rice cultivation, some households still practise shifting
cultivation. Policies promoting fixed cultivation have been implemented since 1980. More recently,
households living in mountainous areas, including parts of Bat Mot, Yen Nhan, Xuan Lien, Xuan Le
and Xuan Khao communes, have been resettled to lower areas. Small-scale irrigation systems are required