Sustainable Community Development: A Social Approach from Vietnam

Sustainable development has emerged over the past few decades as an important paradigm for community development. In searching for ways to achieve a balance among the social, economic, and ecological health of communities, Western scholars and practitioners concerned with sustainable development have generally given priority to environmentally-oriented frameworks. However, in places with different cultural and political characteristics and material conditions compared to the industrialized West, a human-oriented, social approach to sustainable development can be observed. This article describes and analyzes how sustainable development is being approached using a non- Western, non-environmentally-oriented approach. We present a case study of a mangrove management program in Southern Vietnam to illustrate such a social approach to sustainability - through collaborative efforts among government, quasi-governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and local communities. We emphasize the role of women in development efforts.