Abstract
Land competition and land-use changes are taking place in many developing countries as the demand for land increases. These changes are leading to changes in the livelihood conditions of rural people. The Government of Laos (GoL), on the one hand, aims to increase forest protection. On the other hand, the government is also working to increase national economic growth by promoting private-sector investment in both agriculture and forest resources – two sectors that compete for the same areas intended for protection. This thesis explores how these contradictory drivers of land-use changes are affecting livelihoods in northern Laos. The research engages a range of approaches, theories and concepts, including political ecology, polycentric resource governance, land-change science, regime shifts in land systems, land sparing versus land sharing, and the sustainable livelihood framework.
During field research, semi-structured interviews and household questionnaire surveys were employed. Additionally, secondary information was collected during the interviews held with key-informants at different administrative levels. Qualitative information was analyzed by using the NVivo qualitative research software. Quantitative data was compiled in a Microsoft Access database and analyzed in Excel.
Land-use and livelihood changes are taking place rapidly in the study sites. Overall, land-use change underwent transformation away from subsistence shifting cultivation to cash crops, intensive agriculture, and industrial tree plantations but shifting cultivation still remains an important land-use system. Land conversion from shifting cultivation for subsistence to commercial crops is most clearly seen in areas with good infrastructure (e.g. road network). This conversion is partly in response to market demands for commercial agricultural products in neighboring countries (including China and Vietnam) and to the government policies on agricultural development and poverty reduction. The land-use policy aims to improve rural land and resource tenure security, but in practice, it is actually used as a tool for state claims on land and forest resources and for increasing forest conservation. Not only do these land-use changes impact rural people’s livelihoods, but they also impact their access to land and natural forest resources.
In general, rural people in the study area perceive that they have improved their livelihood conditions by increasing areas for commercial crop cultivation. This is also supported by local governmental authorities in the drive to reduce traditional shifting-cultivation areas and rural poverty. However, land use for cash-crop cultivation has recently expanded into natural forest areas and has therefore increased deforestation. The expansion of areas for commercial crop cultivation threatens to close the window of opportunities for forest conservation and REDD+.
During field research, semi-structured interviews and household questionnaire surveys were employed. Additionally, secondary information was collected during the interviews held with key-informants at different administrative levels. Qualitative information was analyzed by using the NVivo qualitative research software. Quantitative data was compiled in a Microsoft Access database and analyzed in Excel.
Land-use and livelihood changes are taking place rapidly in the study sites. Overall, land-use change underwent transformation away from subsistence shifting cultivation to cash crops, intensive agriculture, and industrial tree plantations but shifting cultivation still remains an important land-use system. Land conversion from shifting cultivation for subsistence to commercial crops is most clearly seen in areas with good infrastructure (e.g. road network). This conversion is partly in response to market demands for commercial agricultural products in neighboring countries (including China and Vietnam) and to the government policies on agricultural development and poverty reduction. The land-use policy aims to improve rural land and resource tenure security, but in practice, it is actually used as a tool for state claims on land and forest resources and for increasing forest conservation. Not only do these land-use changes impact rural people’s livelihoods, but they also impact their access to land and natural forest resources.
In general, rural people in the study area perceive that they have improved their livelihood conditions by increasing areas for commercial crop cultivation. This is also supported by local governmental authorities in the drive to reduce traditional shifting-cultivation areas and rural poverty. However, land use for cash-crop cultivation has recently expanded into natural forest areas and has therefore increased deforestation. The expansion of areas for commercial crop cultivation threatens to close the window of opportunities for forest conservation and REDD+.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
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| Forlag | Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
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| Status | Udgivet - 2014 |
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