Sustainable Infrastructure Development - A Socio-economic Impact Analysis of Airport Development in Vietnam

Abstract

Airport operation and development in Southeast Asia is at a crossroads. In order to maintain high levels of socio-economic development and improve national competitiveness within an increasingly globalized economic system, governments throughout the region are investing heavily to modernize their outdated and frequently under-dimensioned aviation facilities. While these processes have been found to benefit countries at the national and regional level, the associated socio-economic impacts on people living in the vicinity of major airports have seldom been documented in academic literature. The research uses a case study of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Viet Nam, to examine how the access to available livelihood assets can influence the adaptability of local households to processes of change related to airport operation and development. Using surveys from airport employees and local residents, complimented by expert interviews, the research explores the airport-related socio-economic spillovers which reinforce vulnerability and marginalization among low-income households in Soc Son District. The aim of the research is to illustrate the need for innovative, context-specific, and sustainable models of airport development that can mitigate negative spillovers while fostering economic growth and sustainable development at the local level.