A new study published in Environmental Research Letters indicates a recent expansion and intensification of shifting cultivation in Laos, resulting in direct loss of forests, degradation of important carbon sink ecosystems, and substantial increases in carbon emissions.

The findings build on research published earlier this year that used satellite data to map the extent of shifting cultivation in Laos between 1991 and 2020, revealing that it affected roughly one-third of the total land area of Laos over the past three decades.

More info: Mongabay News. (2023). In Laos, forest loss and carbon emissions escalate as agriculture intensifies. https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/in-laos-forest-loss-and-carbon-emissions-escalate-as-agriculture-intensifies/ 

NASA Earth Observatory. (2023). Shifting cultivation in Laos. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151714/shifting-cultivation-in-laos   

Author

Shijuan Chen – Yale University

Tuesday, April 16, 2024