Title: Impact of investment capital on the current status of clean water supply in the Northern Midland and Mountainous Region of Vietnam
Authors: Quan Nguyen Van, Hien Tran Gia
Volume: 9
Issue: 12
Pages: 50-61
Publication Date: 2025/12/28
Abstract:
Access to clean water in the Northern Midlands and Mountains region of Vietnam is facing many difficulties due to complex terrain and limited infrastructure, leading to a lack of clean water and poor service quality. This is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed to improve people's health and lives. Therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of domestic public and private investment and foreign direct investment (FDI) on the current situation of clean water supply in this region, thereby contributing to policy improvement and improving the efficiency of investment capital use. The study used a mixed-methods approach, combining in-depth interviews with officials and local people with quantitative analysis of secondary data collected during 2020-2024 from 14 provinces in the region. The results of the study show that public investment capital has a significant negative impact on the level of access to clean water while FDI capital has a positive impact. The study did not find any impact of private domestic investment capital on the use of clean water. In addition, there is a positive impact of the control variable GRDP per capita on access to clean water. The interview results also show a clear difference in access to clean water among population groups, especially in highland and remote areas, along with the gap between the assessment of local authorities and the reality of people's lives. From there, practical implications are proposed as reviewing the allocation mechanism and efficiency of public investment capital, and promoting the public-private partnership model to improve efficiency. The government should prioritize attracting FDI into the clean water supply sector, creating favorable conditions in terms of policies and procedures. It is necessary to develop zoning and localization policies suitable to the terrain characteristics, developing flexible solutions such as household filtration systems, rainwater tanks, and using renewable energy in disadvantaged areas. In addition, increasing transparency, feedback, and monitoring from the community are necessary to ensure efficiency and equity in the provision of clean water services.