Impacts on Land Use Practices in Hatkhai and Yang-Khoua Villages, Thaphabath District, Bolikhamxay Province, Lao PDR
Since 1996, the Government of Lao PDR has implemented the Land and Forestland Allocation (LFA) policy throughout the country to increase farmers’ land tenure security, encourage involvement in intensive farming to improve livelihoods, and to protect natural resources. The study examines the implementation of the LFA in two rural communities and finds that, conversely, the LFA programme is leading to the increased loss of forests. Many farmers without the adequate resources to meet the investment required for intensive farming in the short three-year period required by the LFA policy are being forced to clear the surrounding forests to obtain money by sale of timber. The study suggests recommendations for improvement of the LFA programme as well as for other rural development policy in the future including providing more secure rights to agricultural and forestlands as well as better quality land for maintaining rural farming livelihoods.
Publication date : December 2004
Price : 180 Baht / 7 US$
- THEME
- Resource Governance