The total population of Nam Giang district where the Song Bung 4 Project is located is approximately

20,000. Almost 80% of the population consists of ethnic minority groups and 20% is Kinh
(Vietnamese). Among the ethnic minority groups, 56% is Co Tu, 19% Gie Trieng, and the rest belongs
to other ethnic groups. Nam Giang district is one of the districts with high incidence of poverty
about 52.6% of the population is below poverty line. The Project will directly affect five communes:
Ta Bhing, Ca Dy, Thanh My, Cha Val, and Zuoih in Nam Giang district. Reservoir inundation will affect
ethnic minority people from the following villages: Thon 2, Pa Dhi, Pa Rum A, and Pa Rum B in Zuoih
commune; and Pa Toi and Vinh in Ta Bhing commune.
Land acquisition in project construction sites, including the dam site and transmission line, will affect
people from 15 villages in three communes: Ta Bhing, Ca Dy, and Thanh My.

Reservoir Inundated Villages. The four ethnic minority (Co Tu) villagesThon 2, Pa Dhi, Pa Rum A,
and Pa Rum B in Zuoih communewill have be relocated for the creation of the reservoir. Some 206
households with a population of 971 will be physically relocated, and 52 Co Tu households in Ta
Bhing commune will lose more that 10% of upland cropland and grazing land. A further 21 Co Tu
households will be affected, as they will be one of the host villages for resettlers. A large percentage
(45.2%) of the population in the four villages is below 18 years and the education level is low. The
majority of Co Tu household heads have only elementary education or no education. The most
common health problems in Zuoih commune are respiratory infections, influenza, pneumonia,
bronchitis, and diarrhea. Malaria occurs mainly in the rainy season. Poverty is widespread in Zuoih
commune, which is one of the poorest communes in Nam Giang district. In Zuoih commune, 72.2% of
the population lives below the poverty line. A socioeconomic survey in four affected villages indicates
that 60% of the households in Parum B and 40% in Parum A do not have sufficient rice supply to last
a year. These households relied on a mixed staple of rice and cassava. In Pa Dhi, 50% of households
depend on mixed staples. Thon 2 village is better off in comparison with the other three villages.
These four villages are remote and located far from the district center. They have poor infrastructure
and social services. The Co Tu villages in Zuoih commune have no access to newspapers but more
than half of the families have radio. The Co Tu people in Zuoih commune are heavily dependent on
subsistence farming, nontimber forest products, and river fishery.