COVID-19 in the Greater Mekong Subregion: how resilient are rural households?

Hermann Waibel; Ulrike Grote; Shi Min; Trung Thanh Nguyen; Suwanna Praneetvatakul

doi:10.1007/s12571-020-01069-0

COVID-19 in the Greater Mekong Subregion: how resilient are rural households?

Food Secur. 2020;12(4):779-782. doi: 10.1007/s12571-020-01069-0. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Authors

Hermann Waibel¹, Ulrike Grote², Shi Min³, Trung Thanh Nguyen², Suwanna Praneetvatakul⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Development and Agricultural Economics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Königsworther Platz 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
² Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Königsworther Platz 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
³ College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, No.1 Shizi Shan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430070 China.
⁴ Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd, Ladyaow Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900 Thailand.

Abstract

In this paper we submit some thoughts on the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for rural people in the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We base our observations and conclusions on our long-term research experience in the region. The paper focuses on the economics of rural households during this crisis period and its aftermath. We conclude that country differences clearly exist due to their different stages of development. However, while rural households belong to the Corona risk groups, they are also resilient to such a shock. We submit that Governments in the GMS should strengthen policies that conserve the safety-net function of rural villages.

Keywords: COVID-19; Greater Mekong Subregion; Resilience; Rural households.