Economic renovation in Vietnam and its impact on sustainable development

Vietnam's leaders began implementing a development policy strategy called doi moi, or economic renovation, in the mid 1980s. Vietnam's unique history, especially decades of war, has made its environment especially vulnerable to development strategies which primarily emphasize economic growth. This thesis explores the impact of the doi moi policy on sustainable development in Vietnam. Research was conducted by critically evaluating written and oral sources in English, much of it not readily available in North America, or Vietnam's economic reforms and on issues pertaining to sustainable development in Vietnam. The research revealed that Vietnam's environment and society would be substantially negatively affected if the current economic policies are continued as planned. Rather than continuing with the present economic reforms Vietnam's leaders should consider alternative development strategies that would better take into account its own history in order to create in Vietnam a sustainable future.