Study on Land Allocation to Individual Households in Rural Areas of Lao PDR

The legal framework for land use planning and land allocation (LUP/LA) in Lao PDR has been analysed based on the relevant laws (Land Law, Forest Law, Agricultural Law etc.). A national LUP/LA program under the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has been created in 1996. Until 2003, district agricultural and forestry staff have conducted LUP/LA activities in a total of 5400 villages in all provinces of Lao PDR. It is estimated that approximately 300.000 Temporary Land Use Certificates have been issued as a result of LUP/LA. The recent creation of the National Land Management Agency (NLMA) as a central agency in charge of all issues relating to land management and administration by merging the former DoNLUPAD, the Department of Lands and the housing and state land section of State Asset Department requires a review of tasks and responsibilities also with regard to the LUP/LA activities. In the past four years several authors and organisations have attempted to analyse the main impacts of the LUP/LA program on rural livelihoods and the environment. It is reported that in general, LUP/LA has been beneficial in the delineation of village boundaries and resource use zones, has helped to reduce land conflicts and improve forest protection. On the other hand, land allocation has lead to a reduction of agricultural and forest use area available to the households living in upland areas. In numerous cases this has resulted in decreased yields and insecure livelihoods. The results of this study confirm most of the impacts identified during previous surveys.