Finding Homogeneity in Heterogeneity—A New Approach to Quantifying Landscape Mosaics Developed for the Lao PDR

A key challenge for land change science in general and research on swidden agriculture in particular, is linking land cover information to human-environment interactions over larger spatial areas. In Lao PDR, a country facing rapid and multi-level land change processes, this hinders informed policy- and decision-making. Crucial information on land use types and people involved is still lacking. This article proposes an alternative approach for the description of landscape mosaics. Instead of analyzing local land use combinations, we studied land cover mosaics at a meso-level of spatial scale and interpreted these in terms of human-environmental interactions. These landscape mosaics were then overlaid with population census data. Results showed that swidden agricultural landscapes, involving 17% of the population, dominate 29% of the country, while permanent agricultural landscapes involve 74% of the population in 29% of the territory. Forests still form an important component of these landscape mosaic

Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..

Maize boom, bust and beyond: Investigating land use transitions in the northern Thai uplands

Over the past few decades, increasingly intensive maize farming by smallholders in the uplands of northern Thailand has produced a maize boom that has fed the country’s livestock industry. Despite continuously high demand for feed maize, its cultivation has declined unexpectedly over the past decade, pointing to a major land use transition in the uplands. This study investigates the causes of this maize bust and its accompanying land use changes from the perspectives of smallholders. Drawing from fieldwork in the northern province of Nan, we examined their household-level decision-making, challenges, and future visions around land use and livelihoods. Data was collected through a survey of 347 households across 10 villages and semi-structured interviews with 45 smallholders and 8 of their children. We found that many smallholders are being squeezed out of maize because of surging production costs and labor shortages due to aging and the economic out-migration of younger household members. However, rather than abandoning farming altogether, these smallholders are investing in less labor-intensive perennial crops for livelihood security amidst an uncertain future, signaling a pivotal land use transition in the northern uplands. Our data suggests that the ability to make this transition depends on access to land and financial resources. This raises questions around policy support for smallholders with fewer resources who remain dependent on maize despite the growing production risks

Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Lao PDR Between 2000 and 2009 Based on an Analysis of MODIS Time Series and Landsat Images

The rotational nature of shifting cultivation poses several challenges to its detection by remote sensing. Consequently, there is a lack of spatial data on the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes on a regional, i.e. sub-national, or national level. We present an approach based on a time series of Landsat and MODIS data and landscape metrics to delineate the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes. Our results reveal that shifting cultivation is a land use system still widely and dynamically utilized in northern Laos. While there is an overall reduction in the areas dominated by shifting cultivation, some regions also show an expansion. A review of relevant reports and articles indicates that policies tend to lead to a reduction while market forces can result in both expansion and reduction. For a better understanding of the different factors affecting shifting cultivation landscapes in Laos, further research should focus on spatially explicit analyse

Land under pressure - The state of large-scale land acquisitions in the World : Preliminary Results from the Land Matrix Partnership (ILC, CDE, CIRAD, GIGA, GIZ)

Présentation (15 diapos)International audienc

Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..

Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..