Upland cultivation in LAO PDR

Forests are also a key factor in climate regulation and protection against natural hazards. They play a crucial role in providing essential ecosystem services: maintaining water quality and availability; regulating soil fertility; controlling erosion; regulating climate; and supporting traditional agroecological systems that underpin the livelihoods of local communities. 

In Laos, the TRACE project aims to examine the socio-ecological system of highland traditional agroforestry systems, specifically focusing on tea plantations in relation to climate change governance. However, these traditional agroforestry systems, which promote resilience, are now under threat from the rapid expansion of cash crops driven by foreign investment and the Lao government's "Turning Land Into Capital" policy. The shift towards monoculture reduces forest cover, which is already jeopardized by large-scale land investments in mining and hydropower. Additionally, wildlife trafficking—often linked to the rise of illegal trade networks—further exacerbates the degradation of local biodiversity and leads to the loss of essential ecosystem services. The region is also facing climate hazards, as evidenced by the major floods that occurred in 2022 and are expected again in 2025.

The Comité de Coopération avec le Laos (CCL) program's strategic vision is based on the conviction that women and young people are full participants in decision-making and influence processes, ensuring sustainable, fair, and inclusive local governance. The scientific validation of traditional knowledge held by upland farmers regarding climate change adaptation recognizes communities as guardians of their territory, legitimizing their land and environmental rights. Local civil society partners serve as liaisons, supporting communities through economic and social changes and translating on-the-ground realities into leverage to influence public policy.

The TRACE Program aims to contribute to this broader effort. By fostering connections among farmers, producers, communities, civil society actors, and researchers, its work highlights local knowledge, adaptation strategies, and both past and present production processes embedded within socio-political and cultural (dis)continuities. This scientific knowledge is intended to strengthen policy recommendations and inform new consultation mechanisms, particularly at the local level, better to address the challenges and impacts of climate change.

This project is located in the Nyot Ou district, which is the northernmost district of Laos. It is a mountainous region that borders China's Yunnan province. Forests play a significant role in this area, with lush vegetation that includes both evergreen and deciduous trees. This diverse ecosystem supports a wide range of biodiversity, including several species classified as vulnerable or endangered on the IUCN Red List, such as the pygmy slow lorikeet, the large hornbill, Temminck's cat, and the Asiatic black bear. In terms of agricultural practices, the predominant activities among the Mien and Sino-Tibetan people who inhabit this region include slash-and-burn rice cultivation, hunting, and gathering.