3rd International Conference on Ecological, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICEEBS'2013) April 29-30, 2013 Singapore

Sustainable Wetland Management in Lao PDR: A Case Study of Xe Champhone Wetlands

Thienthong Sopha and Alice Sharp

Abstract--- This study assesses the perception of representatives Unfortunately, wetlands in have been under pressures from three stakeholder groups, local communities, government from all the sources mentioned earlier as the management agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations towards the schemes have not been clarified. The Ramsar Convention on sustainable community-based management approach of Xe Wetlands came into force for Lao PDR on 28 September 2010. Champhone Wetland, Lao PDR. The analysis of stakeholders As of present, there are two Ramsar sites in Lao PDR. The involved in the utilization of wetland resources and the management two sites are considered to be ‘wetlands of international of Xe Champhone Wetland were accomplished by using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis. Once the importance’. The two sites located in the southern provinces consultation with stakeholders was done, management activities were of Laos; Beung Kiat Ngong Wetlands in designed. and Xe Champhone Wetlands in Province. The Priorities of activities were analyzed based on four aspects; later wetlands, at present, do not have any management plan importance, impact, possibility and urgency. It was found that local and it now being threatened from conversion for agriculture, communities with different socio-economic background prefer collection of crocodile eggs, and disturbance to crocodile different management activities. hatching areas due to flooding caused by the construction of Keyword--- Xe Champhone wetland, wetland management, weirs. SWOT analysis, sustainability. The present study attempted to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the stakeholder, as well as opportunities and I. INTRODUCTION threats in external environment for Xe Champhone Wetland. AO PDR is rich in wetland biodiversity. Wetlands play a The intension was to develop strategy action plan for very important role in the lives of Lao people since the improving Xe Champhone Wetland planning through L stakeholder-based SWOT analysis with a view to make Xe majority of the people live in the wetland-rich Mekong Champhone Wetland conservation and wise use. basin and rely on wetlands for their dairy subsistence and income generation. Besides, wetlands provide a diverse range II. RESEARCH METHODS of valuable services to society[1]. Nonetheless, there are 2.1 Study Site numerous challenges that undermine the sustainable utilization Xe Champhone Wetlands is one of two wetlands designated and management of wetlands in Laos such as government as Ramsar sites upon Lao PDR’s accession to the Convention policies, socio-economic change and population pressure have on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in 2010. The Xe stimulated a need for more agriculturally productive land and Champhone Wetlands are in . The site also commercial and residential development, particularly in covers an area of 12,400 hectares (ha) in Champhone, the last few decades[2].Therefore, wetlands need to be Xonbuly, Atsphone and Atsaphanthong districts (Fig.1). The managed in proper ways. Xe Champhone is one of a few areas in Laos where critically There are several method used to be apply in wetland e.g., endangered Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylou siamensis) have Fisheries management, irrigation management, valuable of been recorded. Also found in the areas are a number of water wetlands analysis and integrated wetland management. birds species particularly Lesser Whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanica), a few species of kingfisher, white- breasted waterhen (Amauronis phoenicurus). The wetland also support livelihood of local people who live surrounding the area of some 20,000 people from more than 40 villages by Thienthong Sopha, Department of Common and Graduate Studies, fish, livestock grazing and traditional rice cultivation take Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat place in and all around the wetlands [3]. University, Thailand (Corresponding author). Tel: +66 85 076 9783. Email: [email protected].

225 3rd International Conference on Ecological, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICEEBS'2013) April 29-30, 2013 Singapore

Therefore for our study the sample size is as follows:

2054 = 335 6.135

From the above calculation,푛 ≈it can be concluded that the sample size is 335. However, In order to get number that is close to what we calculated, we selected at least 18% out of the total households in each village; therefore the total of sample size of the respondents for this study is 370.

Champhone District TABLE I VILLAGES SELECTION AND A NUMBER OF THE SAMPLE FOR EACH VILLAGE At least No. Villages Populations Households 18% of households Dong 1 788 120 22 Mueang Nong 2 1903 424 76 Lamchan Hua 3 664 112 20 Mueang Fig. 1 a) Location of Champhone District in Savannakhet Province Tha 4 1142 135 24 (Source: Socio-economic atlas of Lao PDR) Mueang Tha 5 188 122 22 Mouang Xakhuen 6 1710 290 52 Nuea Kengkok 7 1880 372 67 Nuea Kengkok 8 1748 292 53 Karng 9 Lamthen 553 92 17 10 Xe 625 95 17

Total 370

2.2 Methodology

2.2.1 Brief review of theoretical background:

SWOT analysis could be a useful tool for the strategic

planning process of environmental management. SWOT analysis is widely recognized and it constitutes an important basic for learning about the situation and for designing future

procedures which can be seen necessary for thinking in a b) Boundary map of Xe Champhone Wetland strategic way[6]. This method identifies the strengths, Champhone district is a flat area, 54 kilometers northeast of weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an implemented plan Savannakhet municipality. With total areas of 1,114 km2, there (or management strategy/ practices) or for a new plan that will are 102 villages, 16,189 households, 18,549 families and be applied in the future. Firstly, the strengths of a plan maybe 109,040 people [4]. Around Xe Champhone, there are 45 the advantages for an organizations in implementing a plan or villages. Among these, there are number 20 villages located he benefits that arise from one already implemented by the within 1 km from the wetland. Out of 20 villages, 10 were organization. Secondly, the weaknesses of the plan could be selected for questionnaires survey (see Table I). In order to obstacles that should be avoided in order for an organized plan find a size of the sample, we can use the formula of Taro to respond sufficiently to designed goal. Thirdly, it seeks to Yamane[5] at a confident level of 95 percent. The formula is identify the opportunities associated with the plan and finally, shown as follows the method detects the threats that will be faced by the implemented plan from the external factors[7]. From = (1) 1 + 2.2.2 SWOT analysis of Xe Champhone Wetland 푁 푛 2 management: Where n = Sample size 푁푒 The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats N = Population size (SWOT analysis) were conducted from questionnaire surveys e = The error of Sampling and interview with the stakeholders.

226 3rd International Conference on Ecological, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICEEBS'2013) April 29-30, 2013 Singapore

The questionnaire consists of 4 sections: general 3.1.2 Weaknesses: According to the geography, Champhone information, indirect use of wetland water resources, district is located in the flat area and also surrounded by Xe ecological services, area problems and management issues. Champhone River and many lakes and oxbows. From that, However, this paper discus the result from stakeholders’ Champhone has been affected by natural disasters such as concerns over the problem and management issues. flood, drought and soil erosion very often. Since local income In this study the stakeholders were divided into 3 main generation is mainly based on agriculture therefore local groups, as followed: people are affected a lot for their living such as planting, - Local communities: Local people, head of each village farming, transportation and infrastructure both from flooding - Governmental offices: Ministry of Natural Resources in wet season and/or drought in the dry season. and Environment, Provincial Water Resources Office, Despite of living style of local people that are still based on Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, District natural resources, wildlife management in the area still have Investment Promotion and Management Office, District some problem such as over-hunting and illegal encroachment. Tourism Office, District Water Resources and In addition, number of monkey in Monkey forest is increasing Environment Office, District Agricultural and Forestry each year which interrupt farming and agricultural activities in Office, District Land Management Office etc. - Non-Governmental Organizations: International Union nearby villages. Moreover, the area still lack of the promotion, Conservation of Nature Laos (IUCN), Mekong River awareness raising and implementation of laws, regulations and Commission- Laos (MRC), World Conservation discipline about land use, chemical use, environmental and Society- Laos (WCS). investment to local people and investors. Additionally, The interview of local community was conducted during the supporting from governmental sectors is still inadequate, both questionnaires survey, while another two group’s interviews in terms of human capital and financial resources. were conducted separately. By interview with the respondents, 3.1.3 Opportunities: Champhone district has a very high the changing of situation in the Xe Champhone River and their potential to develop as an ecotourism district according to community from the past to present, also their concerns and natural resources and cultural resources. Also Local people are future plans were asked and summarized. For the questionnaires survey, we have organized a meeting able to create at least one product or one village one product with local people in the public places such as in temples and by using their folk wisdom and supporting from governmental village offices. The meeting with the local people was offices or NGOs. By supporting from related organizations, arranged in each selected village. A number of respondents communities will be able to generate more income not only were selected according to a number from 18percent of total from agricultural, but also trading as industry. Besides, the households of each village to answer the questionnaires. For city has a potential to get more investment from other the rest, they were separated for group interview and this countries since 9B road which a road from Thailand through group represented for one of the stakeholders groups, which is Laos to Vietnam is on the proceeding. local communities group. After SWOT was listed, we used 3.1.4 Threats: Flooding and drought contributes to soil TOWS matrix for the next step in order to get strategic erosion every year. Soil erosion will be continues destroyed options. local residents and cultural places such as temples where it Action plan for Xe Champhone Wetland management will close to the river bank also crops and livestock production. be drafted by considering from the strategies that we got from The increasing temperature and rainfall could facilitate crop the TOWS matrix step. All possible activities will be listed in pests, potentially increasing production costs due to more use the table based on the strategic plan and also scoring from 1 to of chemical insecticides. In addition, crop production, 5 for each option based on the degree of 4 criteria, which its particularly wet season rice, will continue to be affected by importance, high impact, possibility and urgency. flooding, which is expected to worsen with increased flows in the Xe Champhone River. This is expected to lead to an ESULT III. R expansion of dry season rice production, thus increasing the 3.1 SWOT Analysis need for irrigation infrastructure and the use of chemical 3.1.1 Strengths: Champhone district is rich of natural fertilisers and pesticides, and so further degrading natural resources such as land, rivers, lakes, ponds, forest especially resources in the area. bamboo forest) also have a diversely biodiversity such as fish S ome other problems still need to be addressed since Xe and wildlife. As well as cultural resources, there are many old Champhone has not had a comprehensive management plan temples, sacred places and objects. Also there are some ethnic yet. Furthermore, financial are major part of activities. groups such as Makong, Katang. By this, customary laws and Therefore, this study will propose some management activities believes are still useful and effectively protect some wildlife therefore managers can easily decide which management species. Moreover, local people have some folk wisdom in action to do, at the same time it will response to the right handicraft and there are no uneducated people in the area, needs of the wetland users also. people at least able to access to the primary school. Besides, 3.2 TWOS Matrix the area have a systemic infrastructure, the main circulate road After conducting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities in the district is connect between village to village and also and threat, Strategic options were drafted by using TWOS have some roads to connect to surround districts.

227 3rd International Conference on Ecological, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICEEBS'2013) April 29-30, 2013 Singapore matrix (See Table II). There are 10 strategies identified for the These graphs show that the stakeholders in each group have sustainable management of Xe Champhone Wetland based on specific needs according to the resources and potential in those the needs of stakeholders in the area. Strategies listed in the particular areas. As we can see from activity a1, c1, and j1 TWOS matrix were further breakdown into proposed (details of activities can be seen in Table III) and also the total management activities (Table III) for action plan development. score of importance and urgency of each activities are shown in Table IV, local people from tourism group rated for activity 3.3 Action Plan Development a1 which is the development and renovation some exist In terms of options for management activities, respondents travelling places with the average of impact of 3.8 and 4.6 for will be asked to rate proposed management actions based on possibility score since these villages have some travelling importance, impact to wetland management, do-ability of the places in their area, therefore local people in this group scored proposed activities and the urgency of each activity. for this activity highest average than other groups. Conversely, According to the location of our target villages, we local people in the urban group rated for a1 activity in the categorized them into 3 main groups: tourism group (there are lowest average, but c1 activity, which establishment of travelling places in the village area), urban group (villages investment fund for local people to encourage local people to which located in municipal area) and rural group (villages do service business such as restaurants and guesthouse to support tourism development also investment from which located in rural area). After stakeholders rated each international with an average of impact 3.4 and 3.2 for activity based on the scale 1 to 5 (the least to the most), we possibility highest impact and possibility score compare to could plot the graph for each activity. Examples of the other groups, since local people in this group mostly have analysis were shown in Fig. 2. official work or their own business, it is convenient for them to do the business such as trading and services than other Activity (a1) groups. However, the score for c1 activity were not much 5.0 Dong Mueang different among the three groups. It means that tourism and NongLamchan rural group also interested in investment and there are some 4.0 Xe possibilities for them to do so. Although, these three groups Hua Mueang have some particular needs, but they still have some similar 3.0 Tha Mouang Tha Mueang concern and need and that shows in the graph j1 activity which Xakhuen Nuea Impact 2.0 replanting trees along the river bank to prevent erosion. With Lamthen Tourism group

1.0 Kengkok Kangkok Urban group an average of 4.9 of the highest impact, important, possibility

Karng Nuea Rural group and urgency score, this showed that local people in every 0.0 group agreed that environmental conservation in their area 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 must be the first priority to be addressed. Possibility

TABLE IV a) Activity a1: Develop and renovate some exist traveling places. TOTAL SCORE OF THE IMPORTANCE (I) AND URGENCY (U) OF EACH ACTIVITY ACCORDING TO THE AVERAGE SCORE FROM EACH GROUP Total Score of each activity 5.0 Activity (c1) Group a1 c1 j1 4.0 I U I U I U 1 Tourism 4.6 4.5 3.1 1.4 4.9 4.9 3.0 2 Urban 1.0 1.0 4.6 2.9 4.8 5.0 2.0 Tourism group 3 Rural 2.2 2.1 2.6 2.1 4.9 5.0 Impact Urban group 1.0 Rural group 0.0 IV. CONCLUSION 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 Possibility In this study, the strengths and weaknesses of the stakeholder, as well as opportunities and threats in external b) Activity c1: Establish investment fund for local people environment for Xe Champhone have been examined. By using SWOT analysis and TWOS matrix, strategic planning and management activities for action plan can be drafted based Activity (j1) on the need of stakeholders. For further study, the proposed 5.0 management activities can be used to analyze the priority of

4.0 each management activity. 3.0 Tourism group

2.0 Urban group Sustainable management of wetland depends on the

Impact 1.0 Rural group participation of stakeholders. As can be seen from the result 0.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 presented here, stakeholders with different socio-economic Possibility backgrounds require different management approach. The action plan for each area should be developed and c) Activity j1: Replanting trees along the river bank. implemented accordingly. For example, tourism group highly Fig. 2 Examples of activity prioritizing according to the average required for tourism support activity and urban group required score of each village.

228 3rd International Conference on Ecological, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICEEBS'2013) April 29-30, 2013 Singapore for investment support activity while rural group mainly REFERENCE required for environmental protection activity. Involving stakeholders in planning and management is a [1] Cox, K.W. and L. Campbell, Global Climate Change and Wetlands: necessary condition for sustainable wetland management. Issues and Awareness. 1997: p. 26. [2] Major Causes of Wetland Loss and Degradation Available from: Both without understanding about environmental, knowing http://www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/info/wetlands/wetloss.html. how to conserve the natural resources or without community [3] IUCN, Ramsar Site Profile. To Asses Infrastructure and Capacity Needs participation in the management, it will not be a sustainable for Xe Champhone Wetlands, Champhone and XonbulyDistricts, management and conservation progress over time. Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. 2011. [4] Investment, S.P.D.f.P.a., Statistical Year Book, 2008. 2009. Top down management practice will result in actions that [5] Taro, Y., Statistics : an introductory analysis 1973: New York Harper local communities do not find it is necessary and thus leads to and Row 1973. poor cooperation level. [6] Lozano, M. and J. Valles, Ananalysis of the implementation of anenvironmental management systeminalocalpublicadministration. Journal of Environmental Management 2007. 82: p. 495-511. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT [7] Nikolaou, I.E. and K.I.Evangelinos., A SWOT analysis of

This work was supported by Low Carbon Technology and environmental management practices in GreekMining and MineralIndustry. Resources policy, 2010. 35: p. 226–234. Management Research Grant.

TABLE II STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF XE CHAMPHONE WETLAND

External TOWS Matrix Opportunities Threats S-O (maxi-maxi) S-T (maxi-mini)

Strategies Strategies Support Eco-tourism in the area and conserve the traditional Support the customary laws in the area also improve and SO1 ST1 cultural of each ethnic. implement the wildlife management.

Support indigenous knowledge on handicraft to create one village Promote and educate local people about the benefit of ecotourism Strengths SO2 ST2 one product or one district one product as well as awareness people about environmental protection

Internal SO3 Support investment in the area ST3 Develop transportation as well as infrastructure in the district W-O (mini-maxi) W-T (mini-mini) Strategies Strategies s WO1 Improve biodiversity management WT1 Prepare environmental protection plan

Weaknesse WO2 Improve education and public health services in the city WT2 Prepare adaptation plan to cope with natural disasters in the area

TaBLE III EXAMPLES OF MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES PROPOSED BASED ON EACH STRATEGY IDENTIFIED BY TWOS MATRIX SO-ST-WO-WT Strategies Item Activity Support Eco-tourism in the area and conserve the traditional a1 Develop and renovate some exist travelling places. 1 cultural of each ethnic. a2 Provide map and information about travelling places. Support indigenous knowledge on handicraft to create one b1 Organize the handicraft union; 2 village one product or one district one product b2 Find the markets for the products both domestic and international. Establish investment fund for local people to encourage local people to do service business such as c1 restaurants and guesthouse to support tourism development also investment from international. 3 Support investment in the area Provide the information about investment as well as Law and regulation to the internal and external c2 investors. Post a sign boards around the area with information about the wetlands conservation and the site Support customary law in the area also improve and implement d1 regulation and punishment. wildlife management 4 d2 Monitoring and patrolling and set up a Ramsar site office Promote and educate local people about the benefit of e1 Create some environmental activities, study tour in community. 5 ecotourism as well as awareness people about environmental Add educational materials about environment or subject about environment, sustainable use and e2 protection environmental protection such as water resources, wetland, forest and wildlife f1 Improve the transportation to the travelling places. Develop transportation as well as infrastructure in the district 6 f2 Improve infrastructure such as water pipe and tap water system Promote about breeding and releasing native fish back into the river, lakes and ponds, in order to 7 Improve biodiversity management g1 maintain wild fish population and sustain local livelihood. Expand schools and boost up a number of educated people with higher degree in the area, support 8 Improve education and public health services in the city h1 these people to be educational resources for their hometown. Prepare for educational materials on: sustainable resources use, Ramsar convention, and i1 organic/minimal chemical use agriculture, environmental and socially responsible tourism. 9 Prepare environmental protection plan Study about irrigation options, coordination/streamlining of irrigation schemes for maximum i2 efficiency and minimum impact. J1 Replanting trees along the river bank to prevent erosion. Prepare adaptation plan to cope with natural disasters in the 10 Continue research to determine which plant and animal species are more resilient to drought and area J2 flooding.

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