John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:26 pm

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:16 pm Self sustaining can be done. No fertilizer, no pesticides, with access to water, etc.

This is the big issue. He said there was little water around. Many hilly areas outside of the central floodplains are very dry. The solutions, if viable, usually involve serious engineering.

The traffic along the Mekong River is usually poor and there will be floods. If far away from the Mekong River and its tributaries, need to dig wells or ponds, which are all troublesome things.
So the poverty in the north is also due to water and transportation problems