Lao People’s Democratic Republic

The use and potential of supplementing village pigs with Stylosanthes guianensis in Lao PDR

Assessing participatory photography as a method to understand local perspectives on environment and development in northern Lao PDR

Farmer-led research in village pig production in Lao PDR

Review of the livestock sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Challenges and opportunities for sustainable rubber in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Spatial identification by satellite imagery of the crop–fallow rotation cycle in northern Laos

In the mountainous regions of northern Laos, shifting cultivation, or slash-and-burn agriculture, is widely practiced. However, the crop–fallow rotation cycle is becoming shorter owing to forest conservation policies and population pressure, causing loss of productivity that deleteriously affects farmers’ livelihoods in the region. To investigate regional land use conditions, we have developed a method of identifying the crop–fallow rotation cycle from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+) data. We assessed the impact of the identified cycle on plant production measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The study site was an area in Luang Prabang Province. Using eight TM and ETM+ images acquired annually from 1995 to 2003, except for 1998, when cloud-free data were not collected, we classified land use in each year as crop or fallow by the presence of vegetation in the late dry season. Conformity with fallow age determined by field investigation was 69.1%. The cultivation frequency from 1995 to 2002 showed that 77,000 ha (17.3% of the study site) had not been used for cropping during the period, but 41,000 ha (9.2%) had been used every year. Of the study site, 129,000 ha (29.1%) was cultivated one or two times, 83,000 ha (18.7%) was three or four times, and 54,000 ha (12.2%) was five or six times. The NDVI of crops in November did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the assumption that a longer fallow period would result in better crop yields. Instead, the regeneration of fallow vegetation was evidenced by the higher NDVI values after longer fallow. More than 8 years would be needed to reach the same NDVI as forest. From the produced maps indicating fallow age and cultivation frequency, we found that areas with high potential for regeneration decreased as cultivation frequency increased. Areas near rivers were intensively used, and fallow length was accordingly short. Low-potential areas were found in the western basin of the Mekong River. This spatial information can be used to detect areas where biomass productivity is at high risk of deteriorating.

Cultural drivers and health-seeking behaviours that impact on the transmission of pig-associated zoonoses in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Pig rearing is an important income source in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), with many smallholder farmers using traditional free-range pig production systems. Despite the potentially significant health risks posed by pig production regarding pig-associated zoonoses, information on the sociocultural drivers of these zoonoses is significantly lacking. This review summarises the existing sociocultural knowledge on eight pig-associated zoonoses suspected to be endemic in Southeast Asia: brucellosis, Q fever (Coxiella burnetii), trichinellosis, hepatitis E virus, leptospirosis, Japanese encephalitis, Streptococcus suis and Taenia solium taeniasis-cysticercosis. It summarises current knowledge on these diseases grouped according to their clinical manifestations in humans to highlight the propensity for underreporting. A literature search was conducted across multiple databases for publications from 1990 to the present day related to the eight pig-associated zoonoses and the risk and impact connected with them, with Lao PDR as a case study. Many of these pig-associated zoonoses have similar presentations and are often diagnosed as clinical syndromes. Misdiagnosis and underreporting are, therefore, substantial and emphasise the need for more robust diagnostics and appropriate surveillance systems. While some reports exist in other countries in the region, information is significantly lacking in Lao PDR with existing information coming mainly from the capital, Vientiane. The disease burden imposed by these zoonoses is not only characterised by morbidity and mortality, but directly impacts on livelihoods through income reduction and production losses, and indirectly through treatment costs and lost work opportunities. Other factors crucial to understanding and controlling these diseases are the influence of ethnicity and culture on food-consumption practices, pig rearing and slaughter practices, hygiene and sanitation, health-seeking behaviours and, therefore, risk factors for disease transmission. Published information on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of people regarding pig zoonoses and their risk factors is also extremely limited in Lao PDR and the broader Southeast Asian region. The need for more transdisciplinary research, using a One Health approach, in order to understand the underlining social determinants of health and their impacts on health-seeking behaviours, disease transmission and, ultimately, disease reporting, cannot be more emphasized.

2014 Nutrition country profile: Lao People’s Democratic Republic

The context of REDD+ in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Drivers, agents and institutions

Prevalence of endemic pig-associated zoonoses in Southeast Asia: A review of findings from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

The increasing intensification of pork production in southeast Asia necessitates an urgent requirement to better understand the dual impact of pig-associated zoonotic disease on both pig production and human health in the region. Sharing porous borders with five countries and representing many regional ethnicities and agricultural practices, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) appears well placed to gauge the levels of pig-associated zoonoses circulating in the wider region. Despite this, little is known about the true impact of zoonotic pathogens such as leptospirosis, Trichinella, hepatitis E virus (HEV), Japanese encephalitis (JE), and Taenia solium on human health and livestock production in the country. A comprehensive review of the published prevalences of these five pig-associated zoonoses in Lao PDR has demonstrated that although suspicion remains high of their existence in pig reservoirs across the country, epidemiological data are scarce; only 31 epidemiological studies have been undertaken on these diseases in the past 25 years. A greater understanding of the zoonoses prevalence and subsequent risks associated with pork production in the southeast Asian region could help focus public health and food safety interventions at key points along the value chain, benefiting both livestock producers and the broader animal and human health systems in the region.

Coping with changes in access to biodiversity and natural resources along the Mekong mainstream and tributaries

The relationship between people and natural resources in the Mekong River Basin is intimate. Up and down the river, natural resources in the form of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), fish, water, ‘Other Aquatic Animals’ (OAAs), agro-ecosystems and other – frequently common property – resources form a significant part of livelihoods. The Lower Mekong basin falls into the territories of five countries (Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam), and is home to about 65 million people. The Mekong River flows almost 5,000 km and its basin covers 795,000 km2. Hydropower development is a major issue in the region as it affects biodiversity, ecosystem health, livelihoods and water governance (MRC, 2015).

Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment Report for Pailom Village, Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR

The Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment is part of the baseline study of CCAFS climate-smart villages in Southeast Asia. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and collection of secondary data were conducted from the village to provincial levels. The Pailom village, one of CCAFS benchmark sites, is located in Champhone district, Savannakhet Province, Laos. Savannakhet province is lowland at the western part and the upland at the eastern part. The province, including Pailom village, frequently experiences drought and crop damage from pests and diseases. Rice production is the main source of people’s livelihood. Due to lack of irrigation and low fertile soil, rice yield is low, ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 tons per hectare. The increasing population growth and negative impacts of climate change contribute to the yearly food shortage in the area. The number of migrant workers from the rural area of the province to the cities and neighboring countries, especially Thailand is increasing. There are not many organizations operating in Pailom village and it is equally uncommon to find organizations working on food security and food crisis issues. Information networking for agricultural activities is mainly established between farmers. There is poor dissemination of agricultural information or technical support from agricultural extension workers and responsible agencies. The identified priorities of farmers in Pailom village include strengthening and promoting agricultural research extension to gather information on fertilizer management, sustainable agricultural production techniques, pest and disease management, and adoption of drought and salinity resistant crop varieties and appropriate husbandry techniques.

Trends and variability of rainfall seasonality indices in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR)

In rainfed agricultural systems, like in Lao PDR, where rainy season rainfall is a crucial water source for agricultural production, accurate prediction of the rainfall seasonality indices (onset, cessation, and LGP) is critical for agricultural planning. These indices determine the timing of land preparation, seeding, and transplanting of major crops, as well as the mobilization of seeds or crops. Accurate knowledge of the dates of rainfall seasonality indices reduces the risk of planting and sowing too late or too early. This study, therefore, used highly-resolved CHIRPS-V2 data to determine the climatologies, variability, and trends of the three seasonality indices over Lao PDR. Rainfall onset dates in Laos vary across regions. In eastern Xekong, they typically span from March 6 to March 21, while in areas bordering Vietnam, onsets are observed from March 21 to April 5. Northern Laos experiences onsets between April 5 and April 20, and in the southwestern LPDR areas, including Vientiane and Xaignabouri, beginnings occur from April 20 to May 5. Southern Champasak has late onsets from May 5 to June 4. Eastern Champasak and certain regions experienced rainfall cessation between August 31 and September 20. Conversely, Bokeo, Luang Namtha, and Phôngsali see cessation between October 10 and 20. For many of Laos, cessation occurs from September 20 to September 30, and the southeast has cessation dates from October 10 to October 30. Champasak and Attapu provinces have the shortest Length of Growing Period (LGP), spanning 110 to 130 days, while the western regions consistently exhibit shorter LGP (130 to 170 days), and the eastern half experiences longer LGP (170 to 230 days). Notably, LGP variability was consistently higher than onset and cessation dates. The trends analysis showed the Southern and Northeastern regions exhibit delayed onsets, while northwestern areas experience early onsets. Particularly early onsets are noted in parts of Khammouan. Northern-central regions and western Savannakhét have early cessation dates, while the rest of the country shows later cessation. In terms of LGP, mid-central areas have a longer period; southwestern parts have a shorter one, and the specific regions in Houaphan, Louangphrabang, and Xaignabouri have a shorter LGP. The northern regions generally have a longer LGP. However, the trends of all three indices were noted to be insignificant across the country.

Tillage erosion on very steep slopes in Northern Laos

Breaking the cycles of land degradation: a case study from Ban Lak Sip, Lao PDR

This issue of Water Policy Briefing is based on research presented in When ?Conservation? Leads to Land Degradation: Lessons from Ban Lak Sip, Laos (IWMI Research Report 91) by Guillaume Lestrelin, Mark Giordano and Bounmy Keohavong. The research was carried out by the Managing Soil Erosion Consortium (MSEC)?a multi-country collaborative effort to better understand land degradation, and potential solutions, in upland areas of Southeast Asia. MSEC is coordinated by IWMI with substantial contributions from France?s Institute of Research for Development (IRD). MSEC?s primary partner in Laos is the Soil Survey and Land Classification Center. Around the world, intensive farming in fragile environments is taking its toll on natural resources. This has led to greater awareness of the need to use agricultural land sustainably?to maximize yields without compromising the health and productivity of the soil. Laos? current rural-development and land-use policies were influenced in part by exactly such an environmental agenda. However, a recent study has shown that land degradation has actually increased in the village of Ban Lak Sip since these policies were put in place. The study used an innovative multi-scale approach to analyze local land degradation in relation to Laos? broader socioeconomic and political environment. This showed that new policies had created an artificial shortage of land?forcing farmers to crop more intensively, and inadvertently causing more degradation. conventional forms of scientific analysis would have identified the change in farming patterns as the cause of degradation. But, importantly, they would not have pinpointed why the change occurred?information which is vital if ways of resolving the problem are to be found. So, because of the analytical approach used, the case of Ban Lak Sip provides a cautionary lesson in the formulation of environmental policy. Policymakers need to carefully consider the impacts that conservation efforts will have on people?s livelihood strategies, if they are to avoid forcing communities to take up practices that increase environmental degradation. To this end, any environmental policy that imposes restrictions, especially on people?s livelihood activities, will need to offer new opportunities too.

Hydropower resettlement and livelihood adaptation: the Nam Mang 3 Project in Laos

Mekong hydropower is developing rapidly. Laos is at the forefront of this development. While hydropower development supports the country’s economic growth, many observers have highlighted the potential negative impacts for people’s livelihoods. Taking the Nam Mang 3 hydropower project as a case study, we examine the impacts of hydropower development on farming households of differing livelihood assets and resources, and how they have responded to these impacts. Linking livelihood asset substitution with livelihood outcomes, we examine factors constraining livelihood adaptation and how these shape rural households’ strategies to cope with socioeconomic and environmental impacts from hydropower development. We conclude that while asset substitution generally can improve people’s livelihoods, access to land continues to play an important role in the process of livelihood reconstruction and the shaping of livelihood outcomes.

Linking land tenure security with food security: unpacking farm households’ perceptions and strategies in the rural uplands of Laos

Land tenure, or access and rights to land, is essential to sustain people’s livelihoods. This paper looks at how farm households perceive land tenure (in)security in relation to food (in)security, and how these perceptions evolve throughout different policy periods in Laos. The paper highlights the centrality of farmers’ strategies in configuring the dynamic relationships between tenure (in)security and food (in)security, by demonstrating how farmers’ perceived and de facto land tenure insecurity shapes their decisions to diversify livelihood options to ensure food security. While the paper’s key findings reveal the close interlinkages between land tenure (in) security and food (in)security, we argue that the first does not automatically result in the latter. In contrast, we show how perceived and de-facto land tenure insecurity pushes farmers to explore alternative strategies and avenues to ensure food supply, through farm and non-farm employment. From a policy perspective, the paper highlights the need to put people’s livelihoods at the center of land governance, thus moving beyond the current positioning of land as merely a means for agricultural production or environmental conservation.

Evaluation of environmental factors and soil erosion in MSEC catchments

Village Baseline Study: Site Analysis Report for Pailom village Champone district, Savannakhet province, Lao PDR (LA02)

Data collection for the village baseline study of Pailom village located in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR, took place from 17th -19th Oct, 2014. Focus group discussions were conducted separately for men and women. The village experienced yearly food shortage leading to hunger and malnutrition. Contributory factors included the frequent drought and crop damage from pests and diseases, poor irrigation facilities benefiting only very few farms, high concentration of salt in soil that limits crop diversification in certain areas of arable land, and increasing population that reduces the land area per person. Rice production was the main livelihood in the village but only limited during the wet season because it is mostly rainfall dependant. During the dry season, fields are left to fallow and used for livestock grazing. The government has provided emergency food aid such as rice and corn powder at subsidized cost during food shortage. , Villagers were temporarily migrating to Thailand to work as labourers in factories and in other farms. Few organizations were operating in the village, particularly working on food security and food crisis issues. Information networking for agricultural activities was mainly by individual (farmer to farmer) interaction rather than media. There was poor dissemination of agricultural information or technical support from agriculture extension workers and responsible agencies. Identified priorities in Pailom village include strengthening and promoting agricultural research extension to gather information on fertilizer management, sustainable agricultural production techniques, pest and disease management,

State of knowledge: River health in the Salween