Building a bridge to improve living conditions - My Thuan, Vietnam Student Activities Case Study Teacher's Notes On a black outline map of South-East Asia, identify and label: China Burma Thailand Ho Chi Minh City Hanoi Laos Cambodia Vietnam South China Sea Mekong River On another black outline map of Vietnam (use the map on the Global Ed case study Facing the Global Challenge of HIV/AIDS if no other available), identify and label: Ho Chi Minh City Vinh Long Can Tho The Tien Giang and Hau Giang branches of the Mekong River National Highway 1 On both maps show the Mekong's direction of flow by drawing neat arrows Access a relief map of Vietnam. Describe the relief or physiography of the Mekong Delta region in southern Vietnam. Using a dictionary of Geography define the terms delta and distributary. Make a sketch from the photograph of the My Thuan Bridge in the case study. Mark in the direction north with an arrow and the direction of flow of the Tien Giang. Add annotations to your photo sketch, making mention of: the central span of the My Thuan Bridge being 350 metres long the estimated width of the Tien Giang at My Thuan the topography around the Tien Giang any distributaries of the Tien Giang in this region the natural vegetation the location of the village settlements evidence of economic activity in the area the reasons for the flat and low-lying nature of the topography the significance of the bridge as a means of improving transport in the region Using the statistics in Table 1 in the case study which give quantitative indicators of living conditions in Vietnam overall, in Ho Chi Minh City and within the Mekong Delta region, complete the following table: Indicator of living conditions Vietnam The Mekong Delta Ho Chi Minh City Population (in millions, 1999)       Gross Domestic Product(in trillion dong)       Gross Domestic Product per capita(in thousands of dong)       Contributions to the Gross Domestic Product from: agriculture industry services       Major crops grown       Write a summative statement outlining the contrasts in living conditions evident between the Vietnam overall, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region. Explain why the Government of Vietnam favored the construction of the My Thuan Bridge as a way of addressing variations in living conditions within the country. Using the text of the case study, summarise the article under the following headings: Economic benefits derived from the construction of the bridge: at a local scale at a regional scale at a national scale   Social benefits derived from the construction of the bridge: at a local scale at a regional scale at a national scale   Environmental benefits derived from the construction of the bridge: at a local scale at a regional scale at a national scale   Feasibility studies suggested that the improved transport link provided by the My Thuan Bridge would allow the Mekong Delta provinces to diversify their economic base from wet rice or padi production into other higher profit activities such as: horticulture; aquaculture;and animal husbandry. Research what is meant by these terms and explain how such activities could increase farm profitability given that Ho Chi Minh City, the major urban market in the south of the country, is only 125 kilometres north-east of the My Thuan Bridge. Explain why the Government of Vietnam increasingly seeks foreign aid projects like the My Thuan Bridge. How has the policy of Doi Moi, the economic reforms adopted by the Government of Vietnam after 1986, encouraged greater foreign investment in Vietnam's economy? To examine this issue use the AusAID Global Education website at http://globaled.ausaid.gov.au for the case study Vietnam: An Asian Developing Country in Transition in the secondary school material on Vietnam. In what ways can foreign aid assist in improving living conditions in a country like Vietnam that has a wide range of living conditions? What benefits accrue to Australia from its participation in such major infrastructure projects as the My Thuan Bridge? Top © Commonwealth of Australia