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Guidelines for managing livestock in flood emergencies

Lao People's Democratic Republic












FAO. 2025. Guidelines for managing livestock in flood emergencies – Lao People's Democratic Republic. Vientiane.




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    Project
    Factsheet
    Emergency Support to Vulnerable Households to Mitigate the Impact of Drought and Floods on Agriculture - TCP/DRK/3705 2020
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    In August 2018, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea faced one of the most severe heat waves/droughts in decades. Below average rainfall from mid-July until mid-August, normally the wettest months, coupled with high temperatures, resulted in moisture stress during critical crop development stages in localized areas of main crop-producing provinces. The six most affected provinces were North Hamgyong, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, South Hamgyong, South Pyongan and Nampo. The situation was further exacerbated by heavy rains in late August 2018, which caused flash flooding in the provinces of north and south Hwanghae. Over 9 000 people were displaced, nearly 1 800 residential buildings were destroyed or damaged, and 11 745 ha of arable land were flooded. With only 22 percent of the total land area of the country arable, an imminent crop failure would have serious consequences on the food security situation in the country. Despite a trend towards slow but steady growth of food production over the past five years (2012-2017), domestic production still falls short of meeting the demand for food by about one million tonnes in cereal equivalent. The erratic performance of the country’s agriculture sector is also caused by the recurrence of extreme weather events (drought and flood) - almost annually, hindering sowing and/or retarding the growth and development of planted crops - difficulties in cultivating the large mountainous terrain, and lack of access to modern production inputs, including fuel, tools and equipment for mechanized farming. In addition to general food insecurity, most people do not consume an adequately diverse diet, which reinforces cycles of undernutrition. The project focused on providing emergency support to mitigate the impact on crop production from the ongoing drought and floods, while also promoting complementary risk prevention and mitigation measures for more resilient farming systems.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical study
    An analysis of the effects of climate change on livestock
    A case study in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
    2023
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    This technical report examines the connection between climate change and livestock, focusing on the impacts on livestock production systems. The study explores various methodologies from the literature and analyses their application in a practical test case in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The assessment estimates direct and indirect effects of climate change on the livestock sector by focusing on three main methodologies retrieved from the scientific literature and applied to the specific case of Lao People's Democratic Republic. The results reveal significant effects of climate change on cattle and buffaloes, the main ruminant species in the country. The findings showed significant losses in Lao People's Democratic Republic production due to heat stress affecting dry matter intake. For instance, under the representative concentration pathway 2.6 scenario, the analysis estimated a 19 percent loss in meat production and a 18 percent loss in milk production by 2085. The thermal-humidity index, used as a proxy for milk production estimation, yielded similar results. On a positive note, the study revealed that the carrying capacity and the number of potential livestock units are expected to increase from 2020 to 2080, counteracting some of the negative effects of climate change induced by heat stress. The proposed methodologies can be combined to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current and future state of the livestock population and production. While the effects may vary in different regions and production systems, the report emphasizes the importance of implementing strategies to mitigate climate change impacts. Overall, this report provides crucial information for policymakers and agencies involved with the livestock sector to guide interventions and address the challenges posed by climate change.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Understanding the impact of planted forest on smallholder livestock farmers and their livelihoods in the Greater Mekong Subregion 2021
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    Significant forest change in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has resulted in deforestation of primary forests and expansion of plantation forests. Although plantation forest development benefits rural communities through income generation and employment opportunities, there have been negative impacts, including reductions in livestock grazing land and collection of non-timber forest products. This study analysed the association between primary forests, plantation forests, grazing areas and large ruminant populations in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. The report showed that livestock populations in the GMS are dynamic and have been under pressure due to enhanced trade and demand in red meat in China and Viet Nam, with a generally positive association between planted forest areas and populations of cattle and buffalo in Lao PDR and Viet Nam indicated. Tree plantations were an important source of income and generally perceived as having a positive impact on rural livelihoods, despite negatively impacts in grazing land availability. It is recommended that integrative approaches that include the collection of household level data to assess the impact on smallholder livelihoods and the collection of regional level data to capture forest changes in future forest assessments, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the association between primary forests and planted forest on smallholder livestock production. Silvopastoral models have the potential to provide more viable and sustainable alternatives to the current forestry and livestock production models, supporting the transformation to more sustainable agriculture for better production, better environment, and sustainable development goals in GMS countries and beyond.

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