TY - JOUR

T1 - COVID-19 in the Greater Mekong Subregion

T2 - how resilient are rural households?

AU - Waibel, Hermann

AU - Grote, Ulrike

AU - Min, Shi

AU - Nguyen, Trung Thanh

AU - Praneetvatakul, Suwanna

N1 - Funding Information: Governments in the GMS countries have implemented policies aimed to help rural households with the pandemic. In China (XSBN), the Government has provided rice to poor smallholder rubber farmers and implemented price control schemes as well as promoted rural E-commerce and allowed the establishment of roadside booths to strengthen direct marketing of farm produce. In Vietnam, the government implemented cash transfers of one million VND/household/month (US$43) for the months of April to June for poor and near-poor households, for workers who lost their job and small-scale businesses. Similarly, in Thailand, the government implemented cash transfer programs for people who lost their job as well as financial support for rice farmers of 1000 THB per rai (about US$200/ha) and loan restructuring measures to ease the pressure of households, already debt-stricken before the crisis. Cambodia implemented minor support measures in the garment sector (20% of minimum wage) and both Cambodia and Laos implemented COVID-19 response projects in the health sector financed through support from the World Bank.

PY - 2020/8

Y1 - 2020/8

N2 - In this paper we submit some thoughts on the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for rural people in the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We base our observations and conclusions on our long-term research experience in the region. The paper focuses on the economics of rural households during this crisis period and its aftermath. We conclude that country differences clearly exist due to their different stages of development. However, while rural households belong to the Corona risk groups, they are also resilient to such a shock. We submit that Governments in the GMS should strengthen policies that conserve the safety-net function of rural villages.

AB - In this paper we submit some thoughts on the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for rural people in the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We base our observations and conclusions on our long-term research experience in the region. The paper focuses on the economics of rural households during this crisis period and its aftermath. We conclude that country differences clearly exist due to their different stages of development. However, while rural households belong to the Corona risk groups, they are also resilient to such a shock. We submit that Governments in the GMS should strengthen policies that conserve the safety-net function of rural villages.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Greater Mekong Subregion

KW - Resilience

KW - Rural households

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087875321&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s12571-020-01069-0

DO - 10.1007/s12571-020-01069-0

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85087875321

VL - 12

SP - 779

EP - 782

JO - Food Security

JF - Food Security

SN - 1876-4517

IS - 4

ER -