Anh Dung Commune: Finding a path to sustainable development

Starting from a low base, with a large geographical area and many obstacles to development, Anh Dung commune once faced numerous difficulties in improving the lives of its people. Through decisive action, close contact with the people, and hands-on approach from the grassroots level, the locality is gradually creating substantive changes, aiming to improve the quality of life for its people and achieve sustainable development.

Identify the difficulties in order to overcome them.

With over 10,300 people living in 12 villages, of which the Raglai ethnic minority accounts for about 60%, Anh Dung commune has a large area, a scattered population, and harsh natural conditions. Infrastructure is not yet synchronized, and agricultural and forestry production remains fragmented and heavily dependent on weather, directly impacting socio -economic development and the lives of the people in the commune. According to Mr. Le Van Chin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Anh Dung commune, the livelihoods of the people mainly rely on traditional, small-scale production. While the restructuring of crop and livestock production has been implemented, it has not yet created a breakthrough; production-consumption linkages remain limited, resulting in low added value. In the social sector, although many targets have been met or exceeded, the poverty rate remains at 5.67%; and the situation of children of school age not attending school still occurs in some remote villages. Notably, the mindset of waiting for and relying on state support still persists among a segment of the population, affecting the effectiveness of sustainable poverty reduction.

Song Than Lake - an important resource for the sustainable development of Anh Dung commune.

Clearly identifying the "bottlenecks," the commune's leaders determined that improving the quality of life required creating substantive changes at the grassroots level, using effectiveness as the measure and avoiding formalism. The locality carefully reviewed tasks in each field, each village, and each household; clearly assigned responsibilities, and linked results to the evaluation of officials. As a result, in 2025, despite many difficulties, Anh Dung commune still achieved and exceeded many important targets: Economic growth rate of over 13%; total production value of over 323 billion VND; average per capita income of approximately 42 million VND/year; 100% of people participating in health insurance; and over 98% of households using clean water for daily life...

Notably, national target programs on sustainable poverty reduction, new rural development, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas have been implemented synchronously and disbursed on schedule. Poverty reduction efforts have shifted strongly from scattered support to "the right people, the right things," with each poor household having its specific causes analyzed to develop appropriate support plans, linking support to livelihoods, and encouraging self-reliance.

Focus on developing sustainable livelihoods.

Developing livelihoods has been identified by the commune as a fundamental solution. The commune focuses on promoting the collective economy and production models suitable to local conditions. A prime example is the Truecoop Ma Noi Organic Agricultural Cooperative (Gia Rot village), specializing in growing and processing local organic agricultural products. By 2025, the cooperative aims to maintain stable production, create regular jobs for dozens of local workers, mostly ethnic minorities; and gradually expand the market for its products, such as dried hibiscus, herbal tea, and pineapple honey. Mr. Vo Thanh Tuan, Chairman of the Anh Dung Commune People's Committee, affirmed: "Collective economic models not only bring income but also contribute to changing the production mindset of the people, from small-scale and spontaneous to linked and cooperative; from short-term exploitation to a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach, suitable to the context of climate change."

Alongside economic development, social welfare continues to receive attention. In 2025, the commune mobilized various social resources to support the construction and repair of 161 houses; and donated thousands of gifts to poor households, near-poor households, policy beneficiary families, and ethnic minority people in difficult circumstances, contributing to helping people stabilize their lives and feel secure in their work and production.

In 2026, Anh Dung commune has identified its focus as improving management effectiveness, developing sustainable livelihoods, linking economic growth with ensuring social security and protecting the environment. Along with restructuring agriculture and forestry to adapt to climate change, the commune aims to develop production models with stable output, and gradually exploit the potential of eco-cultural tourism associated with the identity of ethnic minorities.

At a working session with the Standing Committee of the Anh Dung Commune Party Committee in early January 2026, Comrade Lam Dong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council - requested Anh Dung Commune to create substantive changes right from the grassroots level; focusing on developing sustainable livelihoods linked to poverty reduction, selecting suitable crops and livestock, forming effective production models with consumption linkages for replication. Tasks must be clearly defined, with specific work items, timelines, and responsible persons; genuine work and tangible results must be achieved, avoiding formalism. Relevant departments and agencies should continue to cooperate and support the removal of difficulties regarding resources and procedures, ensuring that public works and national target programs are implemented on schedule.

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Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/202601/xa-anh-dung-tim-huong-phat-trien-ben-vung-7591af9/