Community Forestry in Laos

This article examines the current state of community forestry in Laos. The rationale for community forestry in the Lao context is presented, followed by a discussion of the development of the Lao version of community forestry, called participatory sustainable forest management (PSFM). The history of a project supported by an international non-government organization that attempted to implement PSFM and that was subsequently discontinued by the Lao government is then presented, followed by an analysis of the reasons for government opposition to the project. Examples of more successful community forestry systems in two countries—Nepal and Mexico—are contrasted with Laos's state-centered PSFM model. Lessons from these countries suggest that fundamental institutional changes are necessary for community forestry to take hold in Laos.