Advancing Rural Development

Given that eighty percent of the population of Loa PDR are rural, the report argues that advancing development in the rural areas is crucial for Lao. The report takes an in-depth look at all aspects of rural society including the different types of agricultural systems, from wet rice paddies to uplands forestry and the impact of opium and unexploded ordnance on development. The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of current government policies towards rural development and concludes that decentralization is a key element in to ensure their success. The Report also includes some interesting chapters on ecology and the ethnic diversity of Lao PDR.