Geographical and environmental context
Laos is a landlocked and mountainous country bordered by Cambodia in the South, Thailand in the West, Myanmar and China in the North and Vietnam in the East. In 2014, Laos was populated by 6.9 million inhabitants, with an average population density of 30 hab/km² and around 62 percent of the population living in rural areas
As shown in the map below, this case study derives from field research conducted in two regions of Laos: southern Sayaboury Province and north-eastern Xieng Khouang Province
The two regions display significant heterogeneity in terms of topography and soil conditions. In Kham district of Xieng Khouang Province, for instance, these conditions range from very productive and flat lands in a central basin to steeply sloping and soil erosion prone lands in the northern mountains.
