Ministry of Communication Transport Post and Construction

1. Sub Regional Workshop Ministry of Communication Transport Post and Construction Department of Roads Poverty and Environmental Nexus on Road Case Study In Kaluem and Ngot Ou District of Lao PDR Presented by: Somsanouk Vongsomphou 21-22 June 2006

2. - The Objectives: + To study the natural resources status (NTFP) in the villages with road access and without road access. + To study the livelihood of poor villages and household with the road access and without. + To study the decline of NTFP between villages with road and without road access

3. - Methodology: + Questionnaires were used for interviewing in Villages chief and households + Observation in the field + Group discussion in Provinces, Districts and villages

4. - Villages selection: - Data Analysis: + 6 villages in Kaleum “ 3 Villages no road access” + 4 villages in Ngot Ou “ 1 villages no road and 1 village with new road”).Sampling = 142 households for 2 districts (kaluem = 70 HH, Ngot Ou = 72 HH) + Secondary data was used: road network, maps, books, reports, Govn. Policy documents. + SPSS and Excel software was used for data interpretation.

5. Ngot Ou District Vietnam Saravan Dakchym Lamam Kaluem District National Road Network Profile of Study Areas

6. Vietnam Saravan Ban Vak Nuea Ban Yorn Ban Hat Pae Ban Chale Ban Pakxai Ban Tak Dakchym Lamam Kaluem Map Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey April 2005

7. Kaluem District Road Statistic Source: Statistic of road network in 2003 (MCTPC)

8. Ban Long Thang Ban Cheow Chai Ban Som Heung Ban La Ngot Ou Map Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey April 2005

9. Ngot Ou District Road Statistic Source: Statistic of road network in 2003 (MCTPC)

10. Findings from study areas + Number of Houses in Villages Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

11. + Number of Houses with tin roof Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

12. + Agriculture land Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

13. Number of cattle in HH 600 510 500 400 289 Number of Animal 240 300 215 179 200 100 95 94 90 79 21 55 34 50 50 38 38 100 31 33 20 30 20 12 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 La Tak Yorn Chale Pakxai Hatpae Vak Neua Somheung Long Thang Cheaw Chai Villages Name Number of buffaloes Number of cows Number of pigs + Number of Cattle in villages Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

14. + Main Road and Villages Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

15. Road access and road density is not correlated to lower overall district forest cover. Forest cover in 1997 and deforestation in 1993-97

16. One explanation factor might be high understanding if people about importance of forest Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

17. The reasons of Natural Resources preservation Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

18. Road access to upland villages could have limited environmental impact NTFP Collection in Village, there is no road Access No= 41% yes= 59% NTFP collection in Village, there is road access Village without road access, NTFP collecting is only slightly less than villages Within road access. As: 59% & 64% No= 36% yes = 64% Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey Jan. 2005

19. The Reasons for NTFP Collection in villages Village without road access, There are three kind of using NTFP - HH use& Selling = 61%, - HH use only = 27% - Selling = 12% Village within road access, There are two kind of using NTFP - HH use & Selling = 79% - Selling = 21% Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

20. The Place of NTFP Selling Place of NTPF Selling in Viallage there is no road In Village, = 45% District Market = 55% Place of NTFP Selling in Village there is road In Village = 31% District Market = 69% Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

21. Road Access is correlated to lower poverty % of villages with access to main or secondary road within 6 km decrease from 90.3% to 50.7% % of district poverty with density of road access to main or secondary road within 6 km decrease from 0.72% to 0.1% Source: Percentages district poverty with road density (LECIII, 1997)

22. Road density is an indicator progress in rural road network Road density in Ngot Ou is higher than Kaleum but the main road is in Ngot Ou that is National road Source: 2003 statistic of road network and PEN 2 research

23. Source: 2003 statistic of road network and PEN 2 research

24. With market access, upland villages can benefit from modern equipment HH in villages without road access, there are limited about sort of daily equipment use Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

25. With market access, upland villages cannot benefit from modern equipment HH in villages with road access, there are high sort about daily equipment use Source: ESD of MCTPC, Field survey March 2005

26. Road Development • Increase opportunity to access to job • Decrease NTFP, fuel wood, collecting & hunting • Dissemination Law, regulation for Environment and forest management • Forest & EM is used in local villages • Regular income The linkage between Poverty, Environment and Road Poverty • Increase Population • No services available • Risk of livestock and agriculture • Risk of health Environment • Increase shifting cultivation areas • Increase NTFP, fuel wood, collecting & hunting • Risk of deforestation

27. Conclusion Population increase in rural area then they increase their shifting cultivation cause they has limited paddy field and opportunity to go to outside for job People collect NTFP for their household using only but some time they sell it for additional income, when the road access to their village they may be increase NTFP harvesting. Local people has limited facility equipments to use in their HH cause they have not much chance to go to district and province particularly in rainy season Local people use forest for house’s material building, fence making and fuel wood using Because there is no road access to isolated villages, people do not know how to develop themselves, lack of all information, Laws, regulations. these problems are the cause of poor natural resources management, poor social and economic development

28. Recommendations • Rural/Village road access should be a priority: it is important for poverty reduction and environmental impacts can be managed

29. Attention to environmental and social impact during road construction remains critical task During the planning of road construction, Forest and Agriculture Sector, Pubic Health and Environment Sector should involve to promote the natural resources management and health care in local area. Road Law is the main tool to promote the awareness of road safety such as: accident to animal, people and other asset, particularly people encroach to right of way.

30. Thank you very much for your kindly attention