An uncertain future : biodiversity and livelihoods along the Mekong river in Northern Lao PDR

The Lao People's Democratic Republic lies at the heart the Mekong River basin. It has an abundance of natural resources including water, wetlands, forests and biodiversity. Managing these rich resources in a sustainable manner is essential to the efforts to meet its development objectives of reducing poverty while promoting economic growth. Although the upper Mekong River is internationally recognised as important for biodiversity, including large, endangered migratory fish species such as the Giant Catfish, there is currently very little information about the status of these critical resources. This report presents a synthesis of the findings and key points of discussion drawn from three years (2003-2005) of monitoring and assessment in the upper Mekong River region of the Lao PDR. The purpose of these assessments has been to identify key areas of concern that require further regular monitoring and assessment as well as to make recommendations for such future work.