Putting shifting cultivation on the “Map”: Experiences from Laos

Andreas Heinimann CDE, University of Bern

OneMap Myanmar Project LCG meeting Yangon, 17th June 2016

Landscape transformations induced by policy “push” and market “pull”

Land Sparing Land Sharing Vs.

Case study evidence of “land conflicts” (partly “LIWG cases”)

First draft LIWG & CDE, 02. 2013

1. Shifting cultivation “eradication” policies

2. Land classification that ignores shifting cultivation

3. Obscure macro level land zonation

Key issues of shifting cultivation “marginalization”

1. Shifting cultivation “eradication” policies

2. Land classification that ignores shifting cultivation

3. Obscure macro level land zonation

Key issues of shifting cultivation “marginalization”

Demonizing shifting cultivation

Demonizing shifting cultivation

Resettlement of upland villages due to policy push/service pull

Sources of knowledge on shifting cultivation?

Mainly case studies & anecdotal information

What about the national level information on extent of shifting cultivation in Laos?

Who Area % territory Population Fujisaka, 1991

- - 1- 1.2 mio

Chavez, 1994 (1981/1982–1988/1989)

4.8 mio ha 20 % -

Hanson 1998

2- 2.5 mio ha 8.5 – 9.5% 1.8 mio

Problems of detecting SC landscapes and

accounting for population involved is not a Laos or SEA

issue only

Source: Mertz, Leisz, Heinimann, 2009

• National land cover inventories do not depict shifting cultivation landscapes as a class (as technically not standard and political bias in classification)

• Population Census do not depict any information related to shifting cultivation

• Older agricultural Census does not provide consistent information related to non-permanent form of agriculture (FAO standard)

• No standard approach in Remote Sensing to detect rotational land use systems (only land cover)

Why is there not more reliable data available?

Land cover – land use challenge

K. Hurni , et al, 2013

Using a spatio-temporal pattern approach to detect shifting cultivation systems

Shifting cultivation in the uplands of Laos

K. Hurni , et al, 2013

Similar approach already launched in Myanmar

MSC B. Fuhrer, CDE, 2016

Similar approach already launched in Myanmar

MSC B. Fuhrer, CDE, 2016

Shifting cultivation is in many cases a sustainable land use system in multifunctional landscapes

LU type Income USD/Y

% of villages

collecting

Nr. of HH

Nr. of botanical species

USD per HH / y

% of total income/ Y

Forest 1,834,00 93.9 5,731 449 320 68.9 Upland agriculture (including fallows) 603,000 90.9 1,968 441 306 22.7

Bamboo 85,000 48.2 199 36 428 3.2

Riverine 61,000 55.5 287 122 212 2.3

Grassland 45,000 15.9 182 58 247 1.7

Others 27,000 22.0 85 18 317 1.0

Paddy 6,782 16.5 49 16 139 0.3

Total / average 2,662,000 313 100

Shifting cultivation is in many cases a sustainable land use system in multifunctional landscapes

TABI & CDE, 2015

Shifting cultivation is in many cases a sustainable land use system in multifunctional landscapes

TABI & CDE, 2015

Shifting cultivation is in many cases a sustainable land use system in multifunctional landscapes

TABI & CDE, 2015

1. Shifting cultivation “eradication” Policies

2. Land classification that ignores shifting cultivation

3. Obscure macro level land zonation

Main issues of shifting cultivation “marginalization”

Invisibility of shifting cultivation in national land classification

“Unstocked forest” or barren land (Vietnam) Critical notion of

“vacant land”

Invisibility of shifting cultivation in national land classification

Also leading to useless and “dangerous” village level land use plans

Invisibility of shifting cultivation in national land classification

Same village different land maps and plans…

Multi-stakeholder process towards a new national land classification

3 Level Hierarchical Land Classification

Level 1: 8 Land Types (according to land law)

Level 2: Main Land Categories (38 Categories) Level 3: Sub Land Categories (> 80 Sub-categories)

2 Levels or types of Mapping Objectives: 1.) Current Land Use Data/Maps 2.) Future Management Plan Data/Maps

Shifting cultivation including all fallow stages under agriculture land class

Participatory village land use planning and management plan

Participatory village land use planning and management plan

From availability to accessibility of village level mapping, plans, agreements and CLT’s

www.landuseplanning.la

1. Shifting cultivation “eradication” Policies

2. Land classification that ignores shifting cultivation

3. Obscure macro level land zonation

Main issues of shifting cultivation “marginalization”

Flawed and illusionary macro level forest zonation

Not only show the issue but offer approaches: Piloting of re-delineation of national forest zone with government

Not only show the issue but offer approaches: Piloting of re-delineation of national forest zone with government

• As participatory process • As adaptive process, when more village level land use plans are available

adjust macro zoning

Summary & conclusion on approaches to get shifting cultivation “on the map” from Laos

Needs a multilevel, strategic yet concrete and solution oriented approach: • Making extend of SC visible on national level (communication

toll showing extent of NOT vacant land)

• Making SC visible in official national land classification as agricultural land (smallholder “claim” gets a certain formalization)

• Provide participatory village levels approaches that acknowledges SC and identify development potentials

• (local Gov. ownership of process and formalization of SC)

• Use momentum to in parallel address and revise obscure national level macro land & forest zonation's

Some suggested discussion points

1. Are the issues of shifting cultivation “marginalization” in Laos comparable to Myanmar?

2. Could some of the presented approaches also make a contribution to a mitigation of the situation of shifting cultivation in Myanmar?