Community sustainable livelihoods

In 2019 we launched our 3-year project Community Resilience and biodiversity conservation in Nakai District, Lao PDR.

Our overall aims:

• Support the local communities in implementing innovative and sustainable approaches to bring alternative incomes and to preserve local traditional craftsmanship and cultural integrity
• Reduce reliance on natural resources in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park to contribute to biodiversity conservation in the region

To achieve this, we focus on village-level marketing and value chain strategy of native Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and the management of their use by local communities.

All our activities are based in Thaiphaibanh village cluster (one of the three village clusters within the Nakai – Nam Theun National Park; cf. Figure 1), where villagers are the most reliant from natural resources for their daily livelihoods. Villagers from this cluster have also been identified as the most vulnerable in terms of food security and income.