A Hmong woman checking her rice whilst harvesting 'khao kam' (brown sticky rice) in the village of Ban Chalern, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Slash and burn cultivation or ‘hai’ in Lao PDR consists of cutting the natural vegetation, leaving it to dry and then burning it for temporary cropping of the land, the ash acting as a natural fertiliser. Shifting cultivation practices, although remarkably sustainable and adapted to their environment in the past, have come under increasing stress in recent decades and are now starting to be a major problem in Lao PDR, causing widespread deforestation and watershed degradation. The remote and roadless village of Ban Chalern is situated along Nam Ou river and will be relocated due to the construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7.
Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download