Understanding Changes for Forest-Dependent Communities in Upland Laos

Abstract

Forest-dependent communities globally are experiencing rapid environmental and social changes that require attention beyond policy to also consider governance. This case study from Laos examines a national program that links forest management and poverty alleviation in upland areas. I conducted fieldwork across 45 ethnic minority communities in Savannakhet Province. I detail three main findings: first, expanding natural resource extraction will likely entail the greatest impacts to forest-lands, but government discourses blame forest-based livelihoods as causing deforestation and poverty; second, that while data from community surveys and formal interviews indicate success in poverty alleviation in communities, informally collected data indicate this was driven by illegal logging from National Protected Areas; third, community perspectives increasingly criticize government-supported activities when there are severe negative impacts, especially in the case of rubber plantations. I conclude that critical attention to forest-lands change, governance, livelihoods, and community perspectives is important to understand the complexity of environmental and social changes for forest-dependent communities.