1.4 RE IMAGINING THE FARM AND COMMUNITY FOREST STORY IN THE MEKONG (2000-2022)

I love the gentle rural communities of Cambodia and Laos who hug the mighty Mekong River. I was happy to help on technical land issues. But the “land economics “angle (land access) always haunt the technical analysis. …This somehow guided our study of farm and forestry sector concerns and capacity building approaches for concerned institutions e.g., Ministries of Agriculture and Forests) as well as local governments and NGOs.

Ideas that concerned us … inspired us (2000-2023)

Both countries are blessed by the mighty Mekong River.
However, Cambodia, though flat, has inherent soil fertility issues (The exception are the areas fed by the mighty Ton Le Sap Lake). Laos has a mountainous topography and so prone to soil erosion
Agrobiodiversity is high, (especially in Laos) Indigenous practices for soil fertility management exist; many non-government initiatives show viable ways to address them
Many farming communities are naturally also forest- custodians
Climate change issues accentuate (worsen) the long-known land degradation issues
There is deep tension between providing for access to land and community forests as economic tools for rural communities and the desire for Agri sector export output (via Economic Land Concessions)
Steady progress in mainstreaming Community Forestry led and the increased role of local authorities

Remarkable Communities / Pioneering Communities

Communities in the flooded forests in Siem Reap Cambodia, rainfed farmers along the Mekong and in Prek Thnout, Kampong Thom, community forestry holders in Kratie, Mondulkiri;
mountain ethnic farmers of Northern Sayaboury, Xieng Khouang, and Savanakhet Lao PDR

Catalytic projects that helped study and model the way

IFAD – ICRAF Technical and Institutional Innovations Project,
DANIDA Process and Benefit study of NRM decentralization
UNDP SLM Cambodia Project,
Community Forestry Projects of RECOFTC; OXFAM GB; Civis Mudi; ASEAN – SDC; and NTFP EP respectively
GEF UNDP Prek Thnout Watershed project
IUCN Biodiversity Planning Project, and UNDP Agri CCA project in Lao PDR,
USAID RDMA Biodiversity Review and UNDP Asia Pacific Ecosystems and Biodiversity review

My field notes

**Cambodia Ton Le Sap Lake and flooded village and flooded forest** – Like many farmers in Asia, traditional Cambodian farmers are also at the same time fishermen and forest custodians. Seasonal farming in the Ton Le Sap Lake reflects the complex livelihood skills.

**Cambodia map showing infertile soils** – Many parts of Cambodia have fertility issues. Part of our involvement was to help the Min of Agriculture develop the Sustainable land management strategy to address this through an interdisciplinary landscape-based approach.

In many parts of Cambodia **3 converging factors** define the land management concerns (soil erosion, inherent soil fertility issues and climate change. Part of our involvement was to help the main of Agriculture develop the Sustainable land management strategy to address this through an interdisciplinary landscape based approach.

So many **good agri and NRM practices** have been generated through the years but the challenge is how to mainstream them. A related barrier common in ASEAN is the many impermeable “sectoral silos” in the public service system, preventing the benefit of an interdisciplinary approach.

**Prek Thout watershed (diagram)** – Under the Prek Thnout watershed project the local governments and community institutions would model the way for on farm and off farm actions in the upper watershed.

**Luang Prabang , Xieng Khouang & Northern Sayaboury Lao PDR**, Identifying agroforestry entry points in the upland towns supported by the IFAD- ICSRAF Innovations Project.

**Burning the night oil and Bed and Breakfast** in the cool remote village in Northern Laos

Thought leaders and fellow travelers

Meas Pyseth, SLM PTT Team, Ly Visal, Iech Thea, Chum Sovanny, Tuy Samram, xxx, Nissay, Chong Ear, MAFF Soils Team; Edwin Payuan, Paulo Pasicolan, Athena Custodio

Insights

Many good land management practices already demonstrated. GDP. But their spread is slow. It seems that social/institutional solutions need to precede the spread of technical solutions
The GDP enhancing prospects for agribusiness and commodity driven are very high but issues on land allocation, social and environmental foot prints need equal attention. There is active research and advocacy on the above, sometimes, with lives at stake.
Out of the box initiatives are increasingly needed that also engage agribusiness firms and the latter’s financing institutions — towards responsibility through transparency
How do we manage the sectoral “silos’ and address the overlapping conventional issues as environmental/land degradation, economic driving forces and climate change?

1.4 RE IMAGINING THE FARM AND COMMUNITY FOREST STORY IN THE MEKONG (2000-2022)

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