Environmental policy and administrative management

There are 1,876 people; living in 384 families in the targeted village called Ban Kongtayoun, whose of those 24 families are living under poverty line (poorest families in the village). These are living on lending land for shifting paddy exercise and seasonal labor selling after annum harvests, particularly at the coffee and vegetable gardens surrounding village. They sometime have approached community forest in order to clear it for their permanent paddy field. Often, those had put into conflict with local authorities. Today more than of community forest degraded. Alternatives but permanent agriculture practice on own land like cash crops growing had identified by those poorest families during the project concept paper development as preference. The project is going to work out with local authorities, identifying possibilities of allocating communal land as permanent plots for those poorest to grow pepper to supply the local market and if possible linking with Vietnamese demands for further product development. The identified components will help villagers have own working land and earned regular income and consequently; communal forest will be sustainable use and management; Improve living standards of poorest; Protecting forest for shifting cultivation and Bringing new alternatives.

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic