From the information above, it can be confirmed that not only does the economy in the Lao PDR depend on the natural resources; Lao people also receive measurable economic benefit from biodiversity. Tourism, hydropower, and agricultural production are major areas of future economic growth for the Lao PDR. All of these sub-sectors depend on biodiversity, including reliance on agro-biodiversity, protected areas, and the watershed catchment protection functions of forests. Therefore, it can be predicted that the decline of biodiversity will have a negative impact on theLao PDR’s economy and that its valuation and conservation is needed now more than ever. C HAPTER 2:
T RENDS OF BIODIVERSITY IN L AO PDR 2.1 C HANGES IN F OREST A REAS Industrial exploitation of forest resources has a long-standing history in the Lao PDR, which can be traced back to its colonization, starting in the early 1900s. The exploitation, however, became systematic and evident in the mid-20 th century, when the country turned more towards a forest resource-based economy (Fujisaki, 2012). According to a recent national survey carried out in 2010, forests in the Lao PDR cover approximately 9.55 million hectares, or 40.3% of the total land area of the country. Figure 1: Rapid Eye satellite imagery used to assess forest cover in 2015 Source:
2016, MAF and Japan’s Programme Grant Aid for Environment and Climate Change FPP-TA6 8