Private Client/IFC - Ecosystems Services Assessment of a solar project in Vietnam - 2018

Project Description:

Our client proposed to develop a solar photovoltaic project in Vietnam. The Project site was located in a local commune, which is inhabited by both the ethnic minorities and Kinh (Vietnamese) people. The mission’s main objective was to undertake an ecosystems services assessment to: Determine the impact on surrounding communities of the loss of ecosystem services; Assess the capacity of the area surrounding the Project site; propose sustainable alternatives for offsetting the loss of those services and achieving a comparable livelihood resource balance.

MKE’s team was responsible for undertaking a rapid ecosystem services assessment, conducting household surveys, interviewing relevant stakeholders, drafting and submitting final evaluation reports to the client.

IFC - Market research on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam with a specific focus on those owned by women (WSMEs) - 2017

Project Description:

MKE assisted the lead firm, providing input for desk research including the facilitation of explorative interviews, conducting 300 WSMEs (SMEs owned by women) surveys and 200 male-owned SMEs. MKE delivered the raw data, translated the answers to open questions into English, and facilitated 9 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and wrote a brief report describing the main findings for each FDG. MKE also wrote selected sections in the Inception Report and Final Report, and participated in the meetings with key informants and IFC.

International Finance Company (IFC) & a Private Client - Ecosystem Service Assessment - 2017

Description of Project:

Around 70.2 ha land in a hilly area of a commune (of one province in Vietnam) was acquired for the Client to develop a Solar Power Project. The Client, being a client of IFC, was required to manage the environmental and social risks associated with the project as per IFC’s sustainability framework. This assessment focused on the applicability of PS6 ‘Biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources’ and PS7 ‘Indigenous Peoples’. It was estimated that a number of households (HHs) were economically displaced by the Project, which were compensated by the Client during the land acquisition and compensation process. Besides, an additional number of HHs from nearby hamlets accessed the Project site and adjacent areas for grazing livestock and fuelwood collection. The study strived to assess, considering IFC’s Sustainability framework, the ecosystem services provided by the area containing and surrounding the project site by: determining the impact of the loss of ecosystem services on local HHs living adjacent to the land acquired for the project; and subsequently identifying sustainable alternative livelihood services to replace the lost services.

The following tasks were undertaken:

• Reviewed the Project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for relevant background information on the Project scope and impacts on its area of influence;

• Developed a representative sample of Jrai and Kinh households. Using this representative sample, survey household patterns of use/dependence on livestock grazing, fuel-wood collection and other services at the Project site and other common, resource areas surrounding the project site.

• Undertook a rapid ecosystem services assessment within the Project site based on the social impact

MPDF & IFC - Scoping and Design of MPDF Phase III – Component 1 - 2006

Project Description:

Assessment of the private sectors in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR in order to determine a strategic and implementation plans for the MPDF III program.