Many solutions to build new rural areas in the Northwestern provinces are increasingly effective and sustainable.

Welcoming the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics for choosing Dien Bien to organize the scientific workshop "Building new rural areas in some Northwestern provinces today", comrade Mua A Son, The Standing Deputy Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee affirmed that organizing the workshop is extremely necessary for Dien Bien and the Northwestern provinces.

According to the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, this is a scientific basis for summarizing the results of new rural construction in the past time, thereby proposing solutions and policy recommendations to continue promoting new rural areas in the Northwestern provinces to develop more comprehensively, improving all aspects of life for the people.

Referring to the necessity of organizing a workshop on "Building new rural areas in some Northwestern provinces", Professor, Dr. Le Van Loi, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said: The Northwest is a large area, including the provinces of Dien Bien, Son La, Lai Chau, Lao Cai..., with a natural area of more than 3 million hectares (accounting for 11.3% of the country's area); the population in the Northwest region is more than 7 million people, of which more than 60% are ethnic minorities, the poverty rate is high and the Northwest is also a region with a particularly important strategic position in terms of national defense and security, the western fence of the Fatherland.

After 14 years of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, the provinces in the Northwest region have made many improvements, but the reality of new rural construction in the Northwest provinces is still different and more difficult than in other provinces and regions.

It is easy to see that the rate of communes meeting new rural standards in the Northwestern provinces is still low, some criteria of communes that have met the standards are still at the minimum level; the lives of a part of the people are still difficult; agricultural production is mainly fragmented, often affected by natural disasters and climate change, so productivity is low, product quality is not high, the ability to participate in the market and value chain is still weak; essential infrastructure serving production and people's lives is still lacking in synchronization, especially rural transportation, electricity, internet network...

Therefore, in the context of the new era, with the strong development of science and technology, digital transformation and international integration, the construction of new rural areas in the Northwestern provinces has posed many urgent requirements, requiring new approaches with more suitable, effective and sustainable solutions to contribute to effectively exploiting the potential of forest resources, minerals, medicinal herbs, ecotourism, and unique ethnic cultures in some Northwestern provinces. From there, the Northwestern region will increasingly develop with its own unique identity and appeal.

Paying special attention to the implementation of new rural areas in the provinces in the Northwest region, scientists, experts, managers, leaders of departments, branches and enterprises at the Central and local levels sent to the workshop 60 papers and opinions clarifying the theoretical contents, viewpoints, policies of the Party and policies of the State on new rural construction; assessments of the current status of new rural construction in some Northwestern provinces; international and domestic experiences in new rural construction; and orientations for solutions to exploit potentials and promote advantages in new rural construction in some Northwestern provinces at present.

At the workshop, scientists, businesses and managers proposed many practical and highly practical recommendations and solutions to build new rural areas in the Northwestern provinces more effectively and sustainably.

Accordingly, the recommendations focus on solutions: Digital transformation in agriculture and rural management: application of information technology, big data, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) in production, management and consumption of agricultural products. Development of the Northwest rural economy needs to be diversified in association with promoting supporting industries, traditional craft villages, rural tourism, green economy, and circular economy.

Regarding human resources for implementing new rural areas in the Northwest, it is necessary to focus on training digital skills, encouraging entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector in rural areas, especially among rural youth; encouraging young people and farmers to start clean (safe) agricultural production, using renewable energy, properly treating waste and wastewater, and protecting natural resources...