Over-exploitation and fragmentation of natural forests have been typical
problems in Southeast Asia, though its intensity varies from one country to
another. In Lao PDR, as in all of the countries in the lower Mekong basin,
there have been high rates of deforestation and forest degradation during the
past half century. Forest cover declined from 70% of the land area in the
1940s to 47% or less by 1999. It has been estimated that about 129,000 ha
per annum of forest was lost in the 1980s and 1990s (FAO, 1995). This
represents a substantial loss in productivity, biodiversity and ecosystem
function for the country. The causes of the forest losses include forest
encroachment by permanent cultivation; swidden agriculture, forest fires,
logging (legal and illegal), and infrastructure development. It has been
estimated that 6.5 million ha of forests are affected by swidden agriculture
(Messerli et al., 2009), and industrial logging may become a more serious
threat in the future as timber companies look for new sources of raw
Over-exploitation and fragmentation of natural forests have been typicalproblems in Southeast Asia, though its intensity varies from one country toanother. In Lao PDR, as in all of the countries in the lower Mekong basin,there have been high rates of deforestation and forest degradation during thepast half century. Forest cover declined from 70% of the land area in the1940s to 47% or less by 1999. It has been estimated that about 129,000 haper annum of forest was lost in the 1980s and 1990s (FAO, 1995). Thisrepresents a substantial loss in productivity, biodiversity and ecosystemfunction for the country. The causes of the forest losses include forestencroachment by permanent cultivation; swidden agriculture, forest fires,logging (legal and illegal), and infrastructure development. It has beenestimated that 6.5 million ha of forests are affected by swidden agriculture(Messerli et al., 2009), and industrial logging may become a more seriousthreat in the future as timber companies look for new sources of raw
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