Environmental research

The project will achieve this objective by investing its efforts in achieving the sustainable management of natural resource such as; 1. the waters and fisheries of the Sesongsoy river, 2. the riparian woodland and Sacred Forest which provide protection to these resources and non timber forest products to the village populations 3. and in maintaining the fertility and structure of the soil which supports the subsistence agriculture on which these villages rely. The project will promote and train farmers in ecologically sound agricultural production methods, the use of seed varieties that will increase crop yields and will investigate the feasibility of growing alternative subsistence and cash crops that are more resilient to climate change risk factors. Furthermore, the project will increase resilience of community by increasing their capacity to support themselves through seed cultivation, fingerling raising, developing new markets and investigating a potential irrigation scheme. It will build on the community s traditional social support structure by safe guarding the local Sacred Forest and developing a seed bank and village fund which increase the villages capacity to cope with crop failure due to climatic factors.

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic