Page 1 of 9 ADB RETA 5771 Poverty Reduction & Environmental Management in Remote Greater Mekong Subregion Watersheds Project (Phase I) RRA REPORT ATTAPEU WATERSHED ATTAPEU & CHAMPASSACK PROVINCE, LAO PDR Special Report By Latsamay Sylavong 1. General Background Attapeu watershed is located in the Southern part of Lao PDR. This watershed is covered in 2 provinces as the whole of Attapeu province and a small part of Champassack provinces (the Plateau Boloven). There are about 900 Kilometres from Vientiane Municipality and 180 kilometres from Pakse. Access to those 4 villages differs from one to another village due to the selection criteria for the RRA survey in order to cover the main ethnic minorities in the watershed area. It is found easy access to 2 villages of Champassack province (Boloven Plateau) for both seasons and very difficult to get to other 2 villages of Attapeu province, especially during raining season. The purpose of this survey is to describe the existing agroecosystems within the watershed area as the relationship to the use of forest resource by human population. In addition, Attapeu watershed is one of the shortlist watersheds priorities in Lao PDR. In the Attapeu watershed 4 villages were studied and detailed information of demographic survey in different ethnic villages as Nha Heune, Alak, Laven and Chung. The number of villages depends on the time available for this survey and the difficulty in access within this area, and the time spending at each village also depends on the size of the village. All 4 villages were selected by the survey team together with the local authorities of both provinces as Champassack and Attapeu. These 4 villages are located in both provinces, 2 villages in Champassack and 2 villages in Attapeu provinces. 2. Methodology The main tool for watershed survey is RRA methodology, as the checklist for interviewing both village and household levels were prepared. These checklists had adapted from various surveys from others countries and within country. Observations were also made under different issues to get a complete picture beside the questionnaires. The composition of the team carry out this survey is as follows: 1. Mr. Gerard Diffloth, ethnolinguistic Page 2 of 9 2. Ms. Samruan Wonjaroen 3. Ms. Soutsada Chanthasiri, socio-economist. This survey took 11 days including 2 days trip from Vientiane to Pakse (date: 20-31/12/1998). There are 4 villages selected for this socio-economic survey including visits provincial and district officers of 2 provinces. These visited villages were selected by the survey team and the local authority in order to cover main ethnic minority and activities in the watershed area. Guidelines for doing this survey composes of checklists for interviewing village, household and other stakeholders in the area. The report of ethnolinguistic specialist will be a separate report beside this report. Beside the primary data gathered by interviewing and observations, there are also secondary data collected during the field and discussions with government officials at all levels and other related stakeholders. The information of each village was not similar due to the availability of time for this RRA, therefore household interview was carried out only in 2 villages as Houay Jot and Pakpe villages which took 3 days each village. The watershed profile of Attapeu was summarised by Mrs Latsamay Sylavong (Project Coordinator) from the field survey of 4 visited villages carried out by Ms Soutsada and some available information collected during the field visit. 3. Socio-economic Information 3.1 Background It is very difficult to summarise the overall description of the whole watershed from 4 visited villages during such a short period of time (only 11 days survey), but this can give the picture of the existing agroecosystem within the watershed area as related to their use by human population. At each village, the team met all administration at the village level such as the Youth Organisation, the Lao Women’s Union, the Construction Front (Neo Hom, elderly organization), village guards and economists. Most of the information were elicited from all village members who keep all types of village information. Disparities in wealth can be easily recognised in all visited villages, with the well-off households possessing a large number of livestock, large paddy rice fields of good quality, and comfortable houses; while the poor have almost nothing. The poorer groups also experience shortages of labour, or often their labour is less than optimal due to chronic illness or the death of a spouse. But there are still signs of cooperation within the village during the main activities, such as seeding and harvesting. 3.2 Climate & Water resources The climate in Attapeu watershed is similar to that of the highland and plateau because this watershed is located in the mountainous agroecological zone, which differ both by the altitude and the population group which inhabit them. The main group of the population living in this watershed area is Lao Theung who inhabit the upland and high plateaus where are often found between 100 and 500 m in altitude. This watershed is rich in water resources as many streams, lakes and rivers found on watershed areas, and fish are their main protein source for the local villagers in the Attapeu watershed. 3.3 Forest Resources & Inhabitation Forest vegetation is abundant in the area with various flora and fauna compared to other watersheds in the country. The estimate of forest cover in Attapeu province is about ? percent. Large portion of forest covers are in the northern part of the province as Dong Ampham, Boloven Plateau and Phou Kathong. These 3 mentioned forest area were designated as NBCAs by Lao Government. Diverse habitats as different of forest types found in the area are lowland evergreen, semi-evergreen, mixed- deciduous, hill evergreen and fagaceous found in the area. Wildlife species including endangered species also found in this area e.g. 84 types of mammals (bats & rodents, cats), over 200 birds species including Page 3 of 9 siamese fireback, crested argus, riverine sps, vultures and hornbills (?,?). The forest vegetation in the watershed area is essential part to the life of all ethnic minorities living within the watershed area. As you may know already, the local people (all ethnic minorities) brings the location for their village settlement or for their livelihood is the most important as a source of food, shelter and others for their living condition. 3.4 Human Population The majority of population in the visited villages is the main ethnic minorities living in the area. These people are uplanders who live in this watershed area and practice shifting cultivation as their main activities for their livelihood. The size of visited villages are quite similar, 3 villages with over 100 households to 340 households. The age of each village is old from 170 to 300 years based on the information from local authority. According to the difficulties in accessibility throughout Attapeu province, the field survey was conducted to only some villages with other observations throughout the watersheds. Four villages were selected for village and households interviews. Village profile is clearly summarised in the appendices. All 4 villages are populated by main ethnic minorities living in the southern part of Lao PDR as Nha Heune, Alak, Laven and Chung. Table 1: Population in visited villages Village name Total number Female Male No of Ethnicity population households 1. Jot 373 204 169 105 Nha Heune 2. Pakpe 128 77 51 28 Alak 3. Nongpanouan 474 221 253 Laven 4. Phok 975 502 473 339 Chung 3.4.1 Population Related Issues Health In general, there is no village dispensary found for the service in the village, villagers usually use the district hospital. There exists a revolving fund established in some visited villages for villagers to use in the emergency (see Table 2). There are at least twice visits from district health service for vaccination children and pregnancy women in the village. Hygiene and cleanliness for all visited villages are still found low because livestock as their cattle and buffaloes still left under and around their houses and villagers drink unboiled water. Malaria, diarrhoea and goiter are the main diseases for all visited villages. Most villagers drink unboiled water from wells and streams. Page 4 of 9 Table 2: Access to health service in visited villages Village Name Dispensary Revolving No of local Distance to Remark fund for health services hospital medicines 1. Houay Jot No Yes 1 (2*) 19km 1 visit form district-health 2. Pakpe No No 1 (4*) 36 km " 3. Nongphanouan 1(but not in Yes 1(1) 15 km 2 visits from service) dist.-health 4. Phok No No 5 (9) 1.5 2 visits from district-health * = sharman Education Each village has one primary school, out of the total 4 villages there is 2 primary school with all 5 grades operated in the village. The other 2 villages have only 2 grades and then children have to joint neighboured school for the remained grades. As seen the number of children attend school was relatively high at the first 2 grades and then dropped about half to be continued to the rest of primary school, and very few children continue the lower secondary school. Lower secondary school only found in one village of Phok village and has very low number of students attend (10 persons) and all are boys. The number of children dropped out from primary school was not collected due to the lack of keeping records at the village level. The reason of leaving school is the requirement of labour for household work or farming, especially for the girls. There is at least one teacher per class.