The conservation context: What are the natural assets of Lao & the region?

1. The conservation context: What are the natural assets of Lao & the region? Integrating business skills into ecotourism operations 05 June 2012 Latsamay Sylavong

2. Outline of the presentation • Background of Natural Asset - NPA • Conservation and Tourism • Links between Conservation (NPA) and Poverty • Natural Asset of the region • Priority of actions

3. Natural Asset - NPA Background • Formally established in 1993 by PM’s Decree 164 • 24 National Protected Areas + 2 Corridors – 3,899,000 ha • “NPA is covered almost 16% of land surface area of Lao” • Provincial PA (57 PPA) – 932,000 ha • District PA (144 DPA) – 504,000 ha • Beside 24 NPAs – Lao still has 2 other forestry categories: Protection and Production Forests

4. NPA Background Benefits of NPAs in Lao PDR • Rural livelihoods (food, medicine, construction) • Land and water systems (watershed protection, flood and erosion control) • Biodiversity reservoirs (species, genetic resources) • Sustainability of national and local economies (hydropower, timber, agriculture, poverty alleviation) • Aware that NPAs play the important roles in socio-economic development • Identifies the problems PAs are facing in providing these benefits • Sets out policy options for each sector to recognise and help maintain the PA development services and products they receive

5. Natural Assets for Tourism • Most NPAs display significant landscape and geological features: • waterfalls, • limestone kart formation, caves and scenic forest landscapes • Including species (dolphins,…) • The Lao National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan (2005-2010) places great importance on promoting sustainable tourism that involves NPAs and rural communities. • It is highly significant that of the total 1,493 tourist sites in Lao PDR, 849 are natural sites - sites of attraction within many NPAs Lao National Tourism Administration (2010).

6. Natural Assets for Tourism • In 2008, over 1.7 million tourists arrived in Lao PDR generating a total income of US$276 million (18% increase compared to 2007). 2008, tourism was the second largest revenue earner for Lao PDR after the mineral production sector. • A specific case of ecotourism with relevance to an NPA • Ban Na and Ban Hatkhaivillages of PKK NPA • XePian NPA ecotourism experience in southern Laos • Gibbon experience in Nam Kan NPA

7. Natural Assets

8. Conservation and Tourism • Current forest cover is about 40% • Home to a wide variety of plants and animals (60 globally threatened species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles) • Natural heritage and scenic beauty – one of prime destinations for nature and cultural based tourism • Many natural & cultural sites attract tourists are found within & around NPAs • Increasing potential for tourism development • Tourism development – a way to assisting poverty alleviation and sound management of NR • Tourism depends on quality natural environments = human environments, resources and cultures • Tourism needs to consider and address a range of different developmental and environmental issues; therefore need to combine NRM with poverty alleviation

9. Natural Assets of the region Regional Cooperation on tourism & natural assets: • Trans-national PAs (PhongNha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No NPA, Dong Khanthung and Pha Tem, … • Cultural • Watershed • Others • Preparation for Asian Community and WTO

10. Tourism can bring revenue for nature conservation Ecotourism involving NPAs also overlaps with cultural diversity, given that most Lao population (80%) are rural and consist of multi-ethnic groups, many of whom also reside in or close to the NPAs. There are many cases of successful ecotourism undertakings in NPAs which benefit both nature protection and the local economy. Need management funding to protect and enhance the resource base on which ecotourism depends, whereas the ecotourism still lacks proper mechanism by which to enhance visitation and re-invest a portion of the revenues into NPA management.

11. NPA and Poverty Poverty Reduction: • About 2,482 poor villages (WFP) as a result of declining forests (areas shaded red) • NPAs -forest conservation in Lao PDR (areas shaded green) • There is an overlap of food security concerns and forest conservation interests. • Major causes for poverty in the uplands (NHD): • declining productivity of Shifting Cultivation • declining productivity in NTFPs • failure of alternative income sources to transform the rural economy

14. Priority of Actions • A better use of economic analysis and instruments in integrating PAs in local and national development planning • Greater collaboration within communities and sectors in rural development planning and management of PAs • An innovative financing scheme of payment for ecosystem services (PES) is needed to consider.

15. Thank You