Land Cover and Land Use Change Sing District, Luangnamtha Province, Lao PDR
NASA-LCLUC Workshop Khon Kaen, Thailand
12-17 Jan 2009
Sithong Thongmanivong, Khamla Phanvilay, Houngpheth Chanthavong, Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Yayoi Fujita, Jeff Fox
Background of the Study
A number of government policies and programs issued since the mid of 1980s
•Natural resource management decentralization through land use planning and land allocation
•Poverty reduction and elimination of opium cultivation
•Transformation of land into capital for investment
•Increase international connection and collaboration
2
Objectives
to examined the patterns of changes:
Forest cover and land use
Demographic distribution
Rural livelihood and people’s relationship with land and forest resources
Sing
Methods
• Policy review
• Spatial analysis
– Demographic change
– Forest cover change
• Village land use
history
• Household interviews
Forest and Land Cover Change
Forest destruction and fragmentation
Expansion of rubber plantation on shifting cultivation and fallow forest area
Forest and Land Cover Change
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1973 1988 1991 2000
WaterLowland agricultureUpland agricultureGrass and bushSecondary forestForest
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1982 1992 2002
Other Non-Forest AreaPermanent Agri-LandOther Wood Area
Potential Forest
Current Forest
Sing District
National level
Source: DOF 2007
Lowland paddy rice/permanent
agriculture
Shifting cultivationFallow
forest
Rubber plantation
Secondary forest
Primary forest
Process of Forest Conversion
Demographic Change: 1995-2005
1995 2001 2005
Ethnic DistributionEthnic 1995 Ethnic 2005
ETHNIC GROUPDistrict boundary
OTHER FEATURES µRoad network 0 10 205 KM
Akha Dam, Phunoi Hmong Khmu
Leu Lue, Nua Nua Mien Mekong River
• Normally, the upland people practice shifting cultivation and lowland practice paddy rice farming
• Long fallow periods are no longer practice due to government policy and population pressures
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Th
ou
san
ds H
ecta
res
Paddy rice
Upland rice
Source: DAFOE
Rice planting area (sing)
Changing of Livelihood and Farming System
Upland Lowland
Farming system shifting cultivation with NTFP, livestock and rubber
Paddy, cash crops and rubber
Farm size 3-5 ha 1-3 ha
Land tenure owned, open access ownedAccess to Market local market local and regional
Off-farm activities weaving, NTFP, labor weaving, labor and handicraft
Mechanization manual manual, tractorLabor family family, hiredLivestock pigs and poultry cows, buffalo and
poultry
Constrains insufficiency water, high labor for weeding
low price
Characteristic of Farming System
Lowland• Subsistence agriculture• Cooperative rice
farming• Livestock
o Upland • Subsistence• Shifting cultivation• Livestock raising
Before After
Changing of Livelihood and Farming System
o Upland• Subsistence and semi-
commercial • Shifting cultivation in
rotation and some paddy• Off farm activities• NTFPs• Rubber plantation
Lowland
• Market oriented
• Commodity crops
• Off farm activities
• Rubber plantation
13
Land Investment Self-investment
Concession
Collaborative investment (villagers and company) Two-plus-three (2+3)
“3” refers to capital, technique and market (companies)
“2” refers to land and labor (farmers)
One-plus-four (1+4) “1” refers to land (farmer/government)
“4” refers to capital, labor, technique and market (companies)
Cash Crops and Rubber Plantation in Sing District
Land Tenure
• Different communities have different ability access to land
• Different groups within the community have different ability access to land
• Early settlers have more access to agricultural land (both lowland and upland)
• New migrants have limited access to agricultural land
• Wealthier households have more access to land and labour for agricultural production
• Poor households concentrate on staple food production and have limited resources (land and labour)
Different understanding on legal status of land ownership among villagers and local authorities
Most affected group is the poorest households because of their inability to mobilize labor and influence in defense of their livelihoods
16
Problems Facing by Investment Companies
Shortage of skill labor for tending and managing plantation
Land investment is difficult in finding land and to negotiate with local villagers
Implementation of planting is halt, currently no solution and agreement yet
Investment has been changed from concession to other form of collaboration model
Conclusion
Commercial crops and rubber affect on forest cover and rural livelihoods
LUPLA is intersected by land investment for rubber plantation
The development of road and infrastructure has attracted the immigrant to the lowland area
Land investment is moving from concession to collaboration
Consideration• There should be an SIA or EIA before approving land
investment/concession
• Careful consideration for land lease and the strategies should
enhance small scale investment activities
• Land use planning and management should be multiple stakeholder discussions to avoid overlap and encourage integrated planning
• Strengthen local agencies’ capacity to follow-up land use plan
Other Issues Related to Investment
• What form should plantation forestry take (concession-based versus smallholder)?
• How to find land for investment companies to fulfill the approved investment quota
• What/where is state land, and what/where is customary village land? What is ‘degraded forest land’?
• What rules should govern recognition of village assets vs. legal entitlements? How should loss be compensated?
• How to deal with land use planning and natural resource management in the future
Thank you for your kind attention