Participatory wetland management: A case study of Xe champhone wetland, Lao PDR

Abstract

In most of the developing countries, wetlands are one of the important fundamental sources as they play out a scope of ecological capacities and give various financial advantages to nearby communities and an extensive populace. However, wetlands are among the most threatened of all environmental resources. It was stated that most of the earth’s wetlands have been disappeared through transformation to industrial, farming, and urban developments. The livelihood of most of the people who are living in Laos relies on its rich wetland biodiversity. Unfortunately, several wetlands in Laos remain under threat from overuse of natural resources. In addition, there has been little research and a lack of data and information about wetlands in Lao PDR, which is the major obstacle in wetland management. In addition, management of wetlands is generally done in a top-down manner, where local communities were not involved in the decision-making process. This study aimed to identify problems related to wetland management by incorporating concerns of all stakeholders into consideration as well as to develop participatory wetland management action plan. The stakeholder’s analysis in the utilization of wetland resources and the management of Xe Champhone Wetland were accomplished by using strengths, weakness, and threats (SWOT) analysis and a TWOS matrix. Once the consultation with stakeholders was done, strategies and management activities were designed and a participatory wetland management action plan was developed.