Land degradation in the Lao PDR: Discourses and policy

t is notably argued that forest clearing increases rainfall runoff which, in turn, fosters soil erosion. Increased runoff also alters hydrological regimes and increases the frequency and ntensity of floods and droughts while, at the same time, eroded sediments accumulate in the streams and silt up wetlands and reservoirs. As presented by the Laotian authorities