A study of low-income households and their perceptions of environmental problems during rapid urbanisation in Hanoi, Vietnam.
[Thesis]
Kilgour, Andrea Louise.
University of Liverpool
2000
Ph.D.
University of Liverpool
2000
The thesis examines the living conditions of low-income households in Hanoi during aperiod of economic, social and political change. The aims are viewed in the context ofrapid urbanisation. The study further considers how factors associated with low-incomehave affected the perceptions of respondents in regards to their domestic environmentsand to the environment at varying spatial levels. These perceptions are then compared tothe contributions made by the State, non-governmental organisations and internationaldonors to reveal that although information exists this rarely reaches those in low-incomeneighbourhoods.A number of research methods revealed that an econometric approach alone does notreveal the true characteristics or diversity of living conditions in the areas studied.Conditions varied within and between study areas highlighting the multi-dimensionalnature of poverty and how, while lack of income can contribute to lack of environmentalconditions, it is not the only factor. Education, political affiliation and age in particularare of crucial importance in explaining living conditions and attitudes to the environment.As a result the thesis contributes to the growing literature on sustainable urbanisation andillustrates the importance of adopting holistic and participatory approaches. By focusingon Vietnam during the 1990s, this thesis has revealed the importance of consideringmacro-level economic and political structures in the development of theory and policyduring processes of transition.