Savannakhet Lowlands

The lowlands of Savannakhet province support biodiversity rare elsewhere in Laos. The extensive riverine floodplains along the Xe Champone are recognized as Ramsar sites for their global importance, hold the largest known population of the Critically Endangered Siamese Crocodile, and are the home of several highly threatened species of turtle. Communities living in this biodiversity-rich wetland area are reliant on agriculture and fishing practices, yet these are increasingly unsustainable, leading to increased rates of land clearance and declines in fish and wildlife populations. The challenge here is to reverse this trend, by working with communities on fisheries management, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, wetland management, and biodiversity conservation.