Areas of forest cover in the Lao PDR have changed over time. As shown in Figure 2 (the percentage of forest areas by region from 2002 to 2015), the forest areas in the northern part of country have increased by about 0.75% per year, whereas the forest areas in central and southern part have decreased consequently about 0.43% and 1.16% per year. Overall, the forest areas in each region (southern, central and northern) in 2010 are less than 50%. In the Lao PDR, national forest cover assessment has been conducted six times, in 1940, 1982, 1995, 2002, 2010 and 2015 (Figure 3: forest covers change in Lao PDR).
The forest has decreased from 17 million hectares, or 71.8% of the total land area in 1940, to 11.6 million hectares, or 49% of the total land area in 1982 to 9.8 million hectares, or 41.4% of the total land area in 2002, to 9.55 million hectares, or 40.33% of the total land area, in 2010. However, further studies conducted by MAF and Japan’s Programme Grant Aid for Environment and Climate Change FPP-TA6 indicate that the proportion of forest cover in 2015 was 46.7% (see table 1). The study shows that there has been a 6.5% increase in forest cover between 2010 and 2015, which equals to 1.29% annual increase. According to this study, the forest cover increase has been rapid in all regions:
Southern Lao = 1.7% / year; Central Lao = 1.2% / year; and Northern Lao = 1.2% / year. The current trend of decreasing potential forest category and increasing current forest cover would indicate significant regeneration of fallows to forest. This trend was completely opposite between 2002 and 2010 in South and Central regions, where forest cover actually declined and potential forests increased . 2 Figure 2:
The percentage of forest cover by regions 2002-2015 Forest Cover of Lao PDR 2002-2015 2002 2010 2015 Northern Lao Central Lao Southern Lao 2 Forest Cover Assessment Lao PDR 2015 - Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Department of Forestry - Japan’s Programme Grant Aid for Environment and Climate Change, The Forest Preservation Programme In Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Technical Assistance 6. 9 56.7% 46.1% 27.9% 55.53% 48.77% 39.95% 47.4% 42.6% 33.8%