Data Collection Survey on Economic Development of the Southern Region in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Data Collection Survey on Economic Development of the Southern Region in Lao People's Democratic Republic Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) Data Collection Survey on Economic Development of the Southern Region in Lao People’s Democratic Republic Final Report October 2012 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) International Development Center of Japan, Inc. Kaihatsu Management Consulting, Inc. IC Net Limited Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd. LAO JR 12-005 Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) Data Collection Survey on Economic Development of the Southern Region in Lao People’s Democratic Republic Final Report October 2012 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) International Development Center of Japan, Inc. Kaihatsu Management Consulting, Inc. IC Net Limited Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd. LAO JR 12-005 N Major road Capital Railways Major cities Hanoi Hai Phong Port National boundary Ports LuangPhabang ChangMai Laos Vientiane Thakhek Udon Thani Savannakhet Hue Yangong Danang KonKaen Mawlamyine Thailand Ubon Ractathani Khorat Pakse Poipet Puleiku Shem Reup Bangkok Stung Treng Laem Chabang Port Cambodia PhnomPenh Phnom Penh Port Ho Chi MinhCity Shihanoukville Port Cai Mep Port 0 100 200 300 400 500km Study Area Data Collection Survey on Economic Development of the Southern Region in Lao People’s Democratic Republic Final Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the study ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study objectives ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Study area ................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Study schedule .......................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Composition of this report ......................................................................................... 3 2. Socio-economic Situation .......................................................................................... 5 2.1 Economic Development in Lao PDR ......................................................................... 5 2.2 Socio-economic conditions of the southern region ................................................... 9 3. Issues and Development Potentials ........................................................................ 49 3.1 Analytical framework ............................................................................................... 49 3.2 Socio-economic situation ........................................................................................ 54 3.3 Issues on economic development ........................................................................... 62 3.4 Potential for Economic Development ...................................................................... 67 4. Economic Development Strategy ............................................................................ 73 4.1 Development vision ................................................................................................. 73 4.2 Guiding principles of development strategy ............................................................ 87 4.3 Development strategy and its stepwise implementation ......................................... 91 5. Economic Development Program ........................................................................... 97 5.1 Programing of development strategy ...................................................................... 97 5.2 Rural and community development based on “One-day Economic Areas” (component 1) ......................................................................................................... 98 5.3 Developing global linkage (component 2) ............................................................... 99 5.4 Enhancing support functions of cities (component 3) ........................................... 100 5.5 Implementation schedule of program .................................................................... 101 6. Conclusion and Recommendation ........................................................................ 103 6.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 103 6.2 Recommendation .................................................................................................. 104 i List of Figures Figure 1-1 Southern region of Lao PDR ............................................................................2 Figure 1-2 Study schedule .................................................................................................3 Figure 2-1 Changes of population and nominal GDP per capita from 1980 to 2011 ......... 5 Figure 2-2 Population distribution in southern Laos ........................................................ 10 Figure 2-3 Poor districts and poorest districts in the southern region .............................. 13 Figure 2-4 Production volume and harvesting areas for coffee beans ............................ 15 Figure 2-5 Production volume and harvesting area for vegetables ................................. 18 Figure 2-6 Production volume and harvesting area for cassava ..................................... 20 Figure 2-7 Number of visitors (left) and occupancy rates of accommodation facilities (right) .......................................24 Figure 2-8 Locations of local industry sites ......................................................................26 Figure 2-9 Location of Kumbans in which the study team conducted detailed interviews ...............................................................31 Figure 2-10 Current situation of roads and bridges improvement in the southern region ..................................................39 Figure 2-11 Situation of mining concessions in the southern region ................................. 46 Figure 3-1 Classification of natural and agricultural characteristics .................................50 Figure 3-2 Classification of land and economic activities ................................................51 Figure 3-3 Logistics flow of the 3 economic regions ........................................................53 Figure 3-4 Chains of economic issues outside of the Bolaven Plateau ........................... 63 Figure 3-5 Chains of economic issues at the Bolaven Plateau ....................................... 65 Figure 4-1 Conceptual image of development vision: Developing, enhancing and networking “One-Day Economic Area” .............. 74 Figure 4-2 Production of cabbage and Chinese cabbage to Thailand ............................. 78 Figure 4-3 Trading system of cabbage and Chinese cabbage to Thailand ..................... 79 Figure 4-4 An example of supply of labor within “One-Day Economic Area” ................... 80 Figure 4-5 Production of cassava for export to Vietnam ..................................................81 Figure 4-6 Flows of contract farming (pig and chicken) ...................................................83 Figure 4-7 Plantation under the direct management of foreign companies ..................... 85 Figure 4-8 Production by land-owning farmers and transportation and processing by traders .......................................................86 Figure 4-9 Matching of development issues and development strategies ....................... 92 Figure 4-10 Step-wise development strategy ....................................................................93 Figure 4-11 Development of global linkage ....................................................................... 95 ii Figure 5-1 Adopting “One-Day Economic Areas” to an economic development program ....................................................................97 Figure 5-2 Economic development program for the southern region .............................. 98 Figure 5-3 Project location under developing global linkage (Component 2) ................ 100 Figure 5-4 NR13 Bypass and streets to be improved or developed .............................. 101 Figure 5-5 Road map for program implementation ........................................................102 iii List of Tables Table2-1 Socio-economic situation of Laos and other GMS member economies in 2010 ...........................................................6 Table2-2 Imports from the surrounding countries to Laos ............................................... 7 Table2-3 Exports from Laos to the surrounding countries ...............................................7 Table2-4 Approved amount of Foreign Direct Investment ............................................... 8 Table2-5 Changes of external environment of Laos in recent years ............................... 8 Table2-6 Area and population of the southern region ..................................................... 9 Table2-7 Numbers of districts, Kumbans, and population in the southern region ........... 9 Table2-8 GRDP of each province in 2010 .....................................................................11 Table2-9 Monthly household consumption amount and percentage of personal consumption by provinces and regions ..........................................................11 Table2-10 Details of expenditure by regions and provinces ............................................12 Table2-11 Classification of industry .................................................................................14
Recommended publications
  • CARE Rapid Gender Analysis an Analysis of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Among Flood-Affected Communities in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR
    CARE Rapid Gender Analysis An analysis of gender equality and social inclusion among flood-affected communities in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR 4 October 2018, Version 1 1 Elizabeth Cowan CARE International in Lao PDR Acknowledgements This Rapid Gender Analysis is supported by the Australian Government and has benefitted from the valuable contributions from CARE International colleagues, especially Phetsakhone Somphongbouthakanh, CARE in Lao PDR’s Gender Advisor. Disclaimer This publication has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author’s alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government. 2 Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 1 Key findings ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Key recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Background information on Lao PDR flooding ................................................................................ 2 The Rapid Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis objectives ............................................ 2
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Rural Health, a Lao PDR and University of Calgary Collaboration Adopt-A-Region
    Improving Rural Health, A Lao PDR and University of Calgary Collaboration Did you know? There are more than 175 graduates of the two-year Family Medicine Specialist Program and 28 new Laos doctors have entered the program this year. LIFE LONG LEARNING FOR FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALISTS IN LAOS FALL 2016 - ISSUE 3 Adopt-a-Region Doctors Lemaire, Brown and McKinnon from UC and Dr Senpasert, a FMS graduate, A further observation is the Family Medicine conducted training workshops for Laos Specialist graduates have become leaders in What is Adopt-a-Region? Family Medicine Specialists and their their hospitals and in their communities. colleagues; as well as for Laos medical This speaks to the quality of the two-year Medical educators from the University of educators. Based in Pakse, team members post graduate training program that was Calgary have adopted specific regions within travelled south to Don Khong District collaboratively established and continues to Laos where they travel to, at least annually, Hospital (on an island of the Mekong River be supported by UC , Lao PDR UHS, and the developing long-standing, collaborative near the Cambodian border); north to Lao Ministry of Health. relationships with their Lao colleagues. The Khongsedone District Hospital (on the west objective is to develop and support Family bank of the Sedone River), south to the Don Moving Forward Medicine Specialist training sites at Talad District Hospital, and east to Sekong FMS physicians have asked for continued provincial and district hospitals at these Provincial Hospital. The physicians training on the following topics: “adopted” areas using a collaborative conducted workshops on teamwork and mentorship model between Lao PDR .
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    Detailed Annual Procurement Plan From November 2017 to Year 2018 Mekong Integrated Water Resource Management Project: Additional Financing Revised as of 02 March 2018 I. General 1. Project information: • Country: Lao PDR Public Disclosure Authorized • Project Implementing Agency: 1. Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) 2. Department of Irrigation-DIMU/PAFO in KHM. and SVK. 3. Department of Livestock and Fisheries-FCMU (CPS. ATP. and SEK.) 2. Bank’s approval Date of the procurement Plan • Original Plan: February, 3, 2017 • First Revision: January, 18, 2018 • Second Revision: February 12, 2018 • Third Revision: March 02, 2018 3. Date of General Procurement Notice: • To be advertised by ___ 2017 (UNDB online) 4. Period covered by this procurement plan: • Until the year 2018 implementation of the project. Public Disclosure Authorized II. Goods and Works and non-consulting services. 1. Prior Review Threshold: Procurement Decisions subject to Prior Review by the Bank as stated in Appendix 1 to the Guidelines for Procurement: Contract Value No. Procurement Method Prior Review Threshold US$ Comments Threshold US$ 1 ICB and LIB (Goods) >=600,000 All contracts above 1.5 million 2 NCB (Goods) 100,000 - <600,000 None 3 Shopping (Goods) <100,000 None 4 Direct Contracting (Goods, - All contracts above 1.5 million and Works, and Non-consulting 5 million for goods and works Public Disclosure Authorized Services) respectively 5 ICB (Works) >= 2,000,000 All contracts above 5 million 6 NCB (Works) 200,000 - <2,000,000 None 7 Shopping (Works) <200,000 None 8 Community Participation None None 2.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to the Lao People's Democratic Republic
    ISSN 2707-2479 SPECIAL REPORT 2019 FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT MISSION (CFSAM) TO THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 9 April 2020 SPECIAL REPORT 2019 FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT MISSION (CFSAM) TO THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 9 April 2020 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME Rome, 2020 Required citation: FAO. 2020. Special Report - 2019 FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8392en The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISSN 2707-2479 [Print] ISSN 2707-2487 [Online] ISBN 978-92-5-132344-1 [FAO] © FAO, 2020 Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/legalcode).
    [Show full text]
  • Endemic Malaria in Four Villages in Attapeu Province, Lao Pdr
    ENDEMIC MALARIA IN LAO VILLAGES ENDEMIC MALARIA IN FOUR VILLAGES IN ATTAPEU PROVINCE, LAO PDR R Phetsouvanh1, I Vythilingam2, B Sivadong1, S Lokman Hakim2, ST Chan2 and S Phompida1 1Center for Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology, Vientiane, Lao PDR; 2Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract. A study was conducted in four villages in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR in 2002 to determine malaria endemicity. The study villages were Mixay, Beng Phoukham, Phou Vong and Pier Geo. Mass blood surveys were conducted in May, August, and October. Finger prick blood was collected for thick and thin blood film as well as for dipstick. The slide positivity rate was highest in Phou Hom in October (41.7%). Plasmodium falciparum was the dominant species comprising more than 80% of the cases. As a whole, the distribution of malaria was similar among males and females. Children below 15 years accounted for a large percentage of the cases. The sensitivity of the optimal dipstick was 62.36 and the specificity was 61.7. Microscopy was taken as the gold standard. Anopheles dirus was found to be the main vector and the vectorial capacity correlated well with the cases. INTRODUCTION entomological and blood examination 3 times during the year. In this report the results of the Malaria is a serious public health problem blood survey are presented. in Lao PDR (Pholsena, 1992) which is a land- locked country bordering Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China. The actual ma- MATERIALS AND METHODS laria situation in the country remains unknown. Study area However, it is said that about 300,000 confirmed and suspected cases of malaria are reported each Attapeu Province is situated in the southern year (Phetsouvanh et al, 2000).The malaria situ- tip of Lao PDR and has common borders with ation varies from province to province and also Cambodia to the south, Vietnam to the east, village to village within one province.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of the EC Cooperation with the LAO
    Evaluation of EC co-operation with the LAO PDR Final Report Volume 2 June 2009 Evaluation for the European Commission This evaluation was commissioned by: Italy the Evaluation Unit common to: Aide à la Décision Economique Belgium EuropeAid Co-operation Office, Directorate-General for Development and PARTICIP GmbH Germany Directorate-General for External Relations Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik Germany Overseas Development Institute United Kingdom European Institute for Asian Studies Belgium Istituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales Spain The external evaluation team was composed of Landis MacKellar (team leader), Jörn Dosch, Maija Sala Tsegai, Florence Burban, Claudio Schuftan, Nilinda Sourinphoumy, René Madrid, Christopher Veit, Marcel Goeke, Tino Smaïl. Particip GmbH was the evaluation contract manager. The evaluation was managed by the evaluation unit who also chaired the reference group composed by members of EC services (EuropeAid, DG Dev, DG Relex, DG Trade), the EC Delegations in Vientiane and Bangkok and a Representative of the Embassy of the LAO PDR. Full reports of the evaluation can be obtained from the evaluation unit website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/evaluation/evaluation_reports/index_en.htm The opinions expressed in this document represent the authors’ points of view, which are not necessarily shared by the European Commission or by the authorities of the countries concerned. Evaluation of European Commission’s Cooperation with ASEAN Country Level Evaluation Final Report The report consists of 2 volumes: Volume I: FINAL REPORT Volume II: Annexes VOLUME I: DRAFT FINAL REPORT 1. Introduction 2. Development Co-operation Context 3. EC strategy and the logic of EC support 4. Findings 5. Conclusions 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Phuthai Textiles
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings Textile Society of America 2004 Contemporary Phuthai Textiles Linda S. McIntosh Simon Fraser University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf Part of the Art and Design Commons McIntosh, Linda S., "Contemporary Phuthai Textiles" (2004). Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. 481. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/481 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Textile Society of America at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Contemporary Phuthai Textiles Linda S. McIntosh Simon Fraser University [email protected] © Linda S. McIntosh 2004 The hand-woven textiles of the Phuthai ethnic group continue to represent Phuthai identity but also reflect exposure to foreign elements such as through trade and changes in the regional political power. If one asks a Phuthai woman what is Phuthai dress, she will answer, sin mii lae suea lap lai, or a skirt decorated with weft ikat technique and a fitted blouse of indigo dyed cotton, decorated with hand-woven, patterned red silk. Despite the use of synthetic dyes readily available in the local markets, many women still grow indigo and cotton, and indigo-stained hands and the repetitious sounds of weaving are still found in Phuthai villages. This paper focuses on the Phuthai living in Savannakhet Province, Laos, but they are also found in Khammuan, Bolikhamsay, and Salavan provinces of Laos as well as in Thailand and Vietnam.1 Contemporary refers to textile production in the last thirty years but particularly in the last ten years after the liberalization of the Lao government policies and the return of private business and tourism after the 1980s.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    Document of The World Bank Report No.: 62073 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized PROJECT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC PROVINCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT (CREDIT 3131) June 10, 2011 Public Disclosure Authorized IEG Public Sector Evaluation Independent Evaluation Group Public Disclosure Authorized Currency Equivalents (annual averages) Currency Unit = Laotian Kip 1998 US$1.00 Kip 3,298 1999 US$1.00 Kip 7,102 2000 US$1.00 Kip 7,888 2001 US$1.00 Kip 8,955 2002 US$1.00 Kip 10,056 2003 US$1.00 Kip 10,569 2004 US$1.00 Kip 10,585 2005 US$1.00 Kip 10,655 2006 US$1.00 Kip 10,160 2007 US$1.00 Kip 9,603 2008 US$1.00 Kip 8,744 2009 US$1.00 Kip 8,393 Abbreviations and Acronyms ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations CAS Country Assistance Strategy DCA Development Credit Agreement ERR Economic Rate of Return GOL Government of the Lao PDR ICR Implementation Completion Report IEG Independent Evaluation Group Lao PDR Lao People’s Democratic Republic M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MPH Ministry of Public Health MPWT Ministry of Public Works and Transport NAMPAPA (MPWT) Water Supply Enterprise (for urban areas) NAMSAAT (MPH) Institute of Clean Water (for rural areas) NEM New Economic Mechanism PAD Project Appraisal Document PPAR Project Performance Assessment Report Fiscal Year Government: October 1 – September 30 Director-General, Independent Evaluation : Mr. Vinod Thomas Director, IEG Public Sector Evaluation : Ms. Monika Huppi (acting) Manager, IEG Public Sector Evaluation : Ms. Monika Huppi Task Manager : Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Malaria Transmission by Anopheles Dirus in Attapeu Province, Lao Pdr
    MALARIA TRANSMISSION BY AN. DIRUS IN LAO PDR MALARIA TRANSMISSION BY ANOPHELES DIRUS IN ATTAPEU PROVINCE, LAO PDR B Sidavong1, I Vythilingam2, R Phetsouvanh1, ST Chan2, T Phonemixay1, S Lokman Hakim2 and S Phompida1 1Center for Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology, Vientiane, Lao PDR; 2Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract. A study was carried out in four malaria-endemic villages in Attapeu Province, in the southern region of Lao PDR. All-night human landing collections were carried out in May, August, and October 2002, to determine malaria vectors. At the same time, mass blood surveys were also carried out in the same villages. Anopheles dirus was the predominant species in three of the study villages. Sporozoites were found only in An. drius from Phou Hom. However, in Beng Phoukham, An. dirus was positive for oocysts. The distribution of malaria cases was highest in Phou Hom and this correlated well with the vectorial capacity of An. dirus. The risk for infection from An. dirus was also high, at 0.99. INTRODUCTION Mekong Region. Since An. dirus has been found in Sekong, which is a province in the south, we Malaria is a serious public health problem wanted to determine how far south An. dirus was in Lao PDR, which is a landlocked country. Most present. malaria cases are reported from the provinces south of Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR. Very Attapeu Province is the southern-most prov- little is known about the malaria vectors in Lao ince of Lao PDR, and it has common borders with PDR, as mosquito dissections have not been car- Vietnam and Cambodia.
    [Show full text]
  • Thematic Interpretation Plan Savannakhet Province Lao People's Democratic Republic
    Thematic Interpretation Plan Savannakhet Province Lao People’s Democratic Republic GMS-Sustainable Tourism Development Project in Lao PDR Lao National Tourism Administration Prepared by: Linda Susan McIntosh, PhD Candidate Thematic Interpretation and Textile Specialist 33 Soi 1 Sukhumvit Road Klongtoey-nua, Wattana What is Thematic Interpretation? Thematic Interpretation is the practice of verbal and non-verbal communication, using illustrated and non-illustrated techniques to present complex subject matter in an interesting and engaging way. One model of Thematic Interpretation is TORE™ = Thematic, Organized, Relevant, and Enjoyable “Successful interpretation provokes people to think. Their thinking creates meanings in their own minds. Themes can stay with us, even when we forget the smaller facts that support them. Strong themes stick in our minds, some of them forever”. Themes, because they are whole ideas, are expressed in the same form as information already stored in our minds. So when we communicate a theme effectively we give visitors something they can readily relate, self-appropriate, and incorporate into their thinking. Themes are ideas not topics: Examples of Themes: An Example of a Topic: • Birds are a fascinating group of animals • Birds because of their special adaptations for flight. • Native birds everywhere are in a fight for their lives because of overdevelopment and Having a theme helps us prepare educational and promotional materials. It makes our job a lot easier because with a theme we able to understand what to include and not include in a presentation to visitors. 2 SAVANNAKHET HISTORIC TRAIL - Background The SAVANNAKHET HISTORIC TRAIL is a new tour circuit consisting of historic, cultural and natural attractions, situated along the East-West Corridor in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR.
    [Show full text]
  • MCC Service Opportunity Assignment Title: SALT/YAMEN: English
    MCC Service Opportunity Assignment Title: SALT/YAMEN: English Teacher & Youth Engagement Worker – Savan Centre Term: August 10, 2016 – July 22, 2017 Location: Savannakhet, Laos Date Required: August 10, 2016 MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply. Synopsis: Program details at mcc.org/salt or mcc.org/yamen The SALT/ YAMENer will work with Savan Centre in Savannakhet to support their activities, build relationships spending time with young people (members and volunteers of the Centre), planning and carrying out social activities with staff and youth, and working closely with the Savan Centre team. One of the core tasks is English teaching but capability of teaching sports, computer skills, dance, music, arts, etc. are other areas of opportunity at the Savan Centre. Qualifications: All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active church membership; and nonviolent peacemaking. 1. College or university degree (completed or in progress) or work experience in Education required by Lao government for Visa approval. 2. Strong English skills (English Teaching experience preferred). 3. Interest in sharing English skills in school and community settings. 4. Experience working with youth an asset. 5. Previous experience working with or teaching basic computer skills / music / sports an asset. 6. Good organizational and planning skills. 7. Flexible and patient with schedule changes, and willingness to take the time to build relationships in community and work as part of the team. 8. Creative and outgoing. 9. Willing to diligently study the local language and live with a local host family and attend a local church or prayer group.
    [Show full text]
  • Listening to Women Fishers on the Sekong River: Fostering Resilience in Village Fishery Co-Management
    Listening to Women Fishers on the Sekong River: Fostering Resilience in Village Fishery Co-Management Charlotte Moser Abstract The accelerated economic development of landlocked Laos, combined with extreme climate variables, points to dramatic transformations in subsistence fisheries on its rivers. In the country’s first Fisheries Law, adopted in 2009, co-management of village fisheries is required as a way to promote sustainable development at a local level. The co-management model, however, does not stipulate participation by women fishers, important stakeholders who make up almost one-half of all Lao fishers and whose work contributes directly to family nutrition and well-being. Based on fieldwork conducted in fishing villages on the Sekong River in southern Laos in 2013, this paper takes an ecosystems approach to discuss how the country can build resilience and social cohesion into fisheries by incorporating women and their knowledge into village fishery management. In the process, the health of river ecosystems and food security will improve, while women fishers will acquire new skills to help them avoid ‘poverty traps.’ Introduction The concept of resilience is central to effective adaptive management of ecosystems. Developed by ecologist C.S. “Buzz” Holling in the 1970s as a theory for managing complex ecosystems, resilience theory suggests that an ecosystem is resilient if it has the ability to remain cohesive during periods of extreme perturbations or what are called ‘shocks’ (Holling 1973). Rather than “bouncing back” to a former equilibrium, an ecosystem is resilient if it can absorb changes in internal and external variables and still persist, albeit in a somewhat different yet robust form.
    [Show full text]