Case Study ⇢ Ecotourism in Nam Ha, Laos

Background Info

• Nam Ha is an area in the province of Luang Namtha in Laos, a country in South East Asia. Nam Ha covers 2,224 km from the lowlands of the Luang Namtha Plain to mountains of over 2,000 m in altitude.

• The area was protected by being declared a National Biodiversity Conservation Area in 1993. Twelve years later it was declared a Heritage Park by ASEAN (Association of Southern Asian Nations). It won the Equador Prize in 2006.

The Heritage Park

• The park includes some of the largest and most important wilderness areas in laos. Over 90% of the protected are is covered by dense mixed deciduous forest. Because of the variety of habitats, it supports a rich variety of plants and animals living in the wide range of ecosystems. This biodiversity is of international importance.

• There are at least 37 large mammal species found in the Heritage Park. They include large cat species such as the clouded leopard, leopard and tiger, all of which are very rare. The world’s tigers are in danger of extinction, with numbers having fallen by half over the past 25 years, there are thought to be as few as 3,500 left across the planet. Bird life is equally rich with at least 288 species recorded in the area.

• The project provides economic opportunities for local people as the ecotourism project includes 57 villages, home to 3,451 families comprising a total of 21,227 people. The locals are trained as eco-guides and they offer village-based lodges and forest camps to tourist.

Aims of the Nam Ha Park

The project aims to make sure that the tourist industry in the Nam Ha area:

• Contributes to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of Laos.

• Involves local communities in the development and management of tourism.

• Uses tourism as a tool to promote development in rural areas.

• Provides training and skills to local communities to help fight poverty.

• Produces tourism which is sustainable, both culturally and environmentally.

• Helps communities to establish cultural and nature tourism activities in and around Nam Ha.

Challenges

The dilemma for the Laos Government is how to promote tourism, with all the benefits that would bring for the inhabitants of Nam Ha and the whole of Laos, without damaging the wildlife and beauty of the area.