Factors Affecting the Awareness of Wind Power Projects – A Case Study in Vinh Chau Town, Soc Trang Province, Vietnam

The increasing global challenge of fossil energy depletion is driving a crucial shift towards clean, renewable sources like wind energy, with Vietnam, particularly Soc Trang province, recognized as a strategic region for its development due to favorable wind conditions. However, this rapid expansion of wind power projects has raised concerns about their significant impacts on local habitat, community health, and socio-economic activities, necessitating comprehensive assessment to inform sustainable development policies. This study was conducted in Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province, focusing specifically on 60 randomly selected households whose land was occupied by the Hoa Dong II Wind Power Plant. Data was collected through face-to-face household interviews utilizing a two-part questionnaire, incorporating socio-demographic inquiries and a five-point Likert scale to quantify perceptions of impacts. Socio-demographic analysis revealed that higher education and income levels were significantly correlated with decreased negative awareness regarding wind power impacts, with education being the most influential factor, indicating a greater acceptance of renewable energy benefits among more educated individuals. Perceptions of environmental impacts demonstrated a positive correlation with landscape changes and a significant negative correlation with noise from wind turbines, suggesting that concerns about visual impact and noise prominently shape community awareness, while impacts on aquatic resources were also noted. Regarding production activities, agricultural production was perceived to have little negative impact, but both aquaculture cultivation and natural fisheries showed significant negative correlations with community awareness, indicating concerns about the reduction of aquatic resources and impacts on cultivation. The findings highlight systematic and coherent community perceptions consistent with broader renewable energy studies, underscoring the critical need to integrate social-environmental factors into wind power project planning to ensure sustainable development and enhance local community consensus.