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Geography of Rotational Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Laos

Andreas Heinimann, Kaspar Hurni et al.LIWG,VTE 29.3.2012

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LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.

Sources of knowledge on shifting cultivation?

Mainly case studies & anecdotal information

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.

What about the national level information on dimension 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

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Problems of detecting SC landscapes and

accounting for population involved is not a Laos or SEA

issue only

Source: Mertz, Leisz, Heinimann, 2009

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.

• 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

• 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?

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New approaches to detect shifting cultivation landscapes

K. Hurni , et al, in prep

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.

K. Hurni , et al, in prep

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K. Hurni , et al, in prep

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.K. Hurni , et al, in prep

Combined approach of medium spatial

resolution satellite imagery with spatial low resolution but hyper-temporal characteristics

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Approximation of shifting cultivation landscapes 2000 -2009

K. Hurni , et al, in prep

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.A. Heinimann, et al, in prep

Patterns of poverty and

market accessibility

inshifting

cultivation landscapes

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Approximation of shifting cultivation landscapes and basic socio-economic characteristics 2000 -2009

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.A. Heinimann, et al, in prep

Shifting cultivation landscapes - remoteness

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LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.A. Heinimann, et al, in prep

Shifting cultivation landscapes – Ethnolingusitic families

LIWG, 29-3-12,Heinimann et al.A. Heinimann, et al, in prep

Socio-geography of shifting cultivation landscapes

Note: ..below.. means: better off then national rural average

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Shifting cultivation landscapes & land concessions

Source: CDE, MoNRE, GIZPreliminary results; do not cite

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Some Conclusions

• The approach may be suitable for first tier operational monitoring at landscape scale (but needs further testing and validation)

• Shifting cultivation is still widespread with considerable shares of the population living in shifting cultivation landscapes

• Anecdotal information and case studies are confirmed that SC landscapes are marginal from various perspectives (remoteness, poverty, ethnicity) when considering the entity of northern Laos

• This marginality is even increased over time as the SC landscapes that “disappear” are in tendency in less marginal regions

• This multi-marginality gives raise to doubts if these regions can profit from the ongoing increase in rural accessibility and market integration, as it may not only be a question of accessibility but actual access to e.g. markets or other services that are limiting

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Last, but crucial note: The importance of proper integration of rotational

SC in village level land use planning

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Facilitate Information Access & Coordination:Online Land Use Planning platform

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Pro memory: Shifting cultivation case study mapper on www.tabi.la

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