Location, topography, resources

15. Location, topography, resources: Houaphan (17,363 km2) is a mountainous province (about 700–1,800 m above sea level) located in the northeastern part of the country about 650 km from Vientiane Capital. The province is bordered by Vietnam to the north, east and southeast, Xiangkhouang Province to the south and southwest, and Luang Phabang Province to the west.  Most of the terrain especially on the western side is rugged with dense mountainous forest and flat land area covers about 9,900 ha (6% to provincial area). 

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  Land/forest: Of the total area (17,363 km2) only 6% is plain land. Production areas with 35 degree slope cover about 6,500 ha (or 4% of total). Forest area is about 1,209,572 ha (69% of total land in the province) of which 462,214 ha (or 26.4%) are assigned as national, provincial, and district protected forest areas. In addition about 171,441 ha covering 8 villages have been assigned as production forests.
  
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  Biodiversity: HP has two important national protected areas (i.e. Nam Et-Phou Louey National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) and the Nam Xam NBCA) with a total area of 390,000 ha, 3 provincial protected areas (17,567 ha), and 6 districts protected areas (54,647 ha). These protected areas have high biodiversity including high value tree species, diversified plant, and wild life species and some of them are classified as endangered species such as Bengal tiger, bear, chamois, bull, elephant, monkeys, gibbon, and birds, aquatic animals and various type of insects. There are also a number of Important Bird Areas (IBA) including the Nam Neun IBA (85,450 ha) in Nam Et which is adjacent to the NBCA. The habitat is characterized as mixed deciduous forest, as well as dry evergreen forest, with stands of bamboo, and occasional conifers; cleared areas have been replaced by areas of secondary grassland. Key avifauna includes Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis and Blyth's Kingfisher Alcedo hercules.
  
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  Water resources: HP is abundant with water resources with good quality and the key ones include Nam Xam, Nam Ma, Ma Ad, Nam Neun, Nam Khan, and Nam Sim and all has high potential for hydropower development. At present 173 villages (23% of total villages) have access to electricity of which 134 villages have access to EDL while 39 villages have access to small hydropower projects and 4 feasibility studies for hydropower development are being conducted. There are about 2,752 irrigations that can provide water to 11,614 ha of paddy field and water consumption for 664 villages (86% of total villages).
  
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  Minerals: HP has significant minerals such as copper, iron, lead, manganese, quartz, coal, sulfer, limestone, etc. There are 22 businesses related to mineral investigation and exploitation in the province.
  

16. Administration, population, culture, and socioeconomic: HP is divided into 8 districts (Xam Neua, Xiengkhor, Viengthong, Viengxay, Houa Meuang, Xam Tai, Sop Bao, and Et, Kuan, Xone). 717 villages, 47,310 households and Xam Neua is the provincial capital. The total population is 291,473 with 142,737 women (data provided by PONRE 2014).

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  Ethnic Communities (EC): There are 9 ethnic communities namely Lao or Lao Tai, Hmong, Kmu, Lao Fong, Singmoun, Iumien or Yao, Moy or Meuang, and Chin or Hor. According to provincial data regarding ethnic communities, HP has 9 ethnic communities including Lao majority (see Table A1.7 below). According to WB definition of indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities (Ethnic Groups or EG) will be applied to the non-Lao majority which is about 80% of total population.
  

Table A1.7 Number of ethnic group households (HH) in Houaphan (provincial data in 2014)

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  Socioeconomic and tourism: Houaphan province is one of the poorest in Lao PDR. However, local livelihoods have been improved and % of poor households decreases to 45.4% in 2009-2010. Road #6 is the main road running through the province. Bamboo is important in rural parts of the province and used as a principal building material and bamboo shoots is among the favorite food.  The province is famous for tourism and the key ones include ethnic culture and the Viengxay caves, an extensive network of caves used by the Pathet Lao, and the Hintang Archaeological Park, one of the most important pre-historic sites in northern Laos, dotted with standing megaliths. Famous settlements in the province include Xam Neua, Muong U, Houa Muang, Chomsan, Muang Pan, Muang Hom, Muang Peu, Muang Xon, Ban Muang-Et, Ban Nampang, Muong Vene, Xam Tai, Muang Na, and Poungthak. A number of visitors (domestic and foreigners) was about 57,076 during the past 5 year or about 11,415 people per year on average.
  
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  Issues: Hunting and degradation of biodiversity in protected areas, lack of water resources planning and management, soil erosion, deforestation, have been considered as priority issues. Similar to other provinces, capacity of the province to address these issues have been limited due to limited number of qualified and experience staff, lack of operation budget, vehicles, tools and equipment necessary for management and monitoring.
  

4. 
   Xayabouly Province
   

Location	A village along Mekong	Asian Elephant

17. Location, topography, resources: Xayabouly (16,389 km2) is located in the northwest of Laos on the western side of the Mekong River and connected to 5 provinces in Thailand (Loei, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Nan and Phayao). On the Lao side, the province borders Bokeo Province and Oudomxai Province to the north, Luang Phabang Province and Vientiane Province to the east. The province is mountainous with the Luang Phabang Range running roughly in a north-south direction and forming a natural border with the Thai highlands and there are many mountain peaks with more than 1,000 meters elevation.

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  Protected area: Asian elephants are the flagship species at Nam Phouy NBCA (1,912 km2) which is located in the forested mountains close to the Thai border. The reservoir area of lower Nam Phoun dam is partly within the Nam Phouy NBCA.  The area is little patrolled, which makes the enforcement of conservation measures difficult. Geological formations include Mesozoics and stones and shales. The habitat is characterized by mixed deciduous forest with an abundance of bamboo resulting from regular forest burning. Afzelia forms at the upper canopy with teak at lower elevations. Apart from wild elephants (about 350), gibbon, gaur, tiger, dhole, serow, silvered langur, Asiatic black bear, and Sumatran rhino are the wild life species reported from the protected area.  The 10,980 hectare Upper Lao Mekong Important Bird Area (IBA) stretches across the provinces of Xayabouly, Bokeo, and Oudomxai. It is situated at an altitude of 300–400 m above sea level. The topography is characterized by river channel, exposed beds, sandbars, gravel bars, islands, rock outcrops, bushland, and braided streams. Notable avifauna include black-bellied tern (Sterna acuticauda), great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), grey-headed lapwing (Vanellus cinereus), Jerdon's bushchat(Saxicola jerdoni), brown-throated martin (Riparia paludicola), river lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii), small pratincole (Glareola lactea), and swan goose (Anser cygnoides).
  

18. Administration, population, culture, and socioeconomic: Xayabouly town is the capital of the province. The province is divided into 10 districts: Xayabouly, Khop, Hongsa, Ngeun, XiengKhone, Phiang, Parklai, Kenethao, Botene, and Thongmyxay. The Northern Lao dialect dominates the province.

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  Ethnic Communities (EC): Residents of Hongsa (population 6,000) are predominantly Tai Lue. Other ethnic communities are the Khmu, Tai Dam, Htin, Phai, Kri, Akha, and Malabri which is the last hunter-gatherer group in Southeast Asia who reside in the forests of western region of the province.
  
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  Socioeconomic and tourism: Xayabouly Province is devoid of vehicle roads except for one north-south route extending from the provincial capital to the Thai border opposite Thailand's Loei Province. The province is rich in timber and lignite, and is considered the rice basket of northern Laos, since most other northern provinces are too mountainous to grow enough rice. Other important crops include maize, oranges, cotton, peanuts, sesame, sugarcane and vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage, and beans. The Xayabouly province is home to Laos’ majority of domesticated Asian elephants. Approximately 75% of the nation's 560 domesticated elephants work in Xayabouly. Their main work duties are within the logging industry, which causes a loss in both wild and domestic elephant habitat. A Lao Elephant Conservation Center has been established in Hongsa District.
  
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  Tourism: There are several famous monasteries. Wat Simungkhun in Hongsa features an initiation pavilion and a raised stone platform over a hole "'leading to the end of the world". A lopsided gilded stupa, reclining Buddha, garden, and brick ruins of AC14th century sim are situated by Wat Sibounheuang. Other landmarks in various districts of the province are: The Tam Hine Cave, Wat Natonoy Temple, Ban Yao Village and Tad Chao Waterfall in Xayabouly District; Tad Namyal Waterfall; and many caves and temples. Some of the unique features of these landmarks are the Tai Lue villages where traditional houses are still built with high-sloping roofs, the Tai Lue style temples of Vat Ban Khon which depict rare natural fiber murals and decorations, Vat Si Phan Don known for its diamond-shaped stupa, and French colonial buildings, traditional Lao-style wooden houses can be seen in the Pak Lay town on the banks of the Mekong River, which lies between Vientiane and Xayabouly town.