FORESTS, TIMBER AND DEFORESTATION IN LAOS

FORESTS OF LAOS

Forests and Landscape near Muang Ngoi Neua.

Laos contains some of the last great tracts of wilderness, the largest remaining tropical rainforests and some of the most pristine natural landscapes in Southeast Asia. Some say half of its woodlands consist of primary forest, in particular the tropical rainforest. Unlike the vegetation that grows in the climate of Europe and the United States, tropical rainforest is composed of three vegetative layers. The top layer features single-trucked, high-reaching trees called dipterocarps. The middle canopy consists of hardwood such as teak. Beneath, small trees, grass and sometimes bamboo can be found. Although logging sometimes occurs at an alarming rate in central Laos, the southeast part of the country is surprisingly undisturbed. The primary reason for this is Laos’s small population.

In 1641 the Dutch explorer Gerrot van Wuystoof wrote: “The mountains that surround it on every side fortify the land marvelously against the enterprises of foreigners...While forests of full grown timber grow at the foot of these mountains seeming to have planted intentionally to serve as a rampart against the great falls of rain which would cause great damage if there were not this natural obstacle.”

The forest in Laos has traditionally o been an important source of wild foods, herbal medicines, and timber for house construction and continued to be a valued reserve of natural products for noncommercial household consumption. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994]

Much the vegetation found in Laos is associated with monsoon forests. On the forests in Oudomxay province, a tourist site for the province reported: “Giant trees are breathtaking, but the forests are more - a whole cosmos of life. If silently walking through the forest reptiles like saurian and snakes are found easily. These shy animals are threatened in more populated and industrialized areas but are still very numerous in natural forests as here in Northern Laos. Besides a high variety of vertebrates the pristine forests harbor an infinite number of insects of which butterflies are among the most colorful. A patient explorer will easily find all kinds of beetles, ants and millipedes crawling on the forest ground. [Source: Oudomxay province Tourism]

Biodiversity of Laos's Forest

“The forests of Northern Laos are also home to a huge amount of different plants. Very particular trees are found with characteristic buttress roots. This characteristic roots anchor the trees in the rainforests on the thin and poor humus layer where roots can’t go deep. Furthermore, they help gather nutrients and minerals from the ground. The local guides will be very happy to introduce a variety of non timber forest products (NTFP) characteristically collected by the local population. Besides bamboo, rattan and other plants for construction wild fruits and vegetable are very important to add to the daily diet. A much appreciated wild fruit is the sweet berry of Melastoma saigonensis. At the end of the dry season the delicate pink flowers can be found. The fruits are preferably eaten fresh. Among the most popular wild vegetables are the big varieties of ferns. These are either eaten boiled or cooked with meat, and are often sold as sour fermented vegetable on the markets.

The forests of southernmost Laos are an extension of the Kampuchean type of vegetation, while the highland forests of the north, consisting of prairies interspersed with thickets, resemble central Vietnam. Bamboo, lianas, rattan, and palms are found throughout Laos. Number of tree species in IUCN red list; Number of native tree species: 1,457; Critically endangered: 5; Endangered: 7; Vulnerable: 8. [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Dok Champa (Plumeria), the national flower of Laos, features reamy-white and yellow petals. Widely planted around temples and homes, it symbolizes sincerity, hospitality, and new beginnings, playing a central role in welcoming ceremonies and local celebrations like the Lao New Year. Laps. is home to hundreds of wild orchid species, including rare epiphytes that grow attached to tree trunks and steep rock faces. Dedicated conservation efforts, such as those at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, work to protect and display over 260 native varieties.Extensive varieties of wild ginger flourish across the forest floor, including galangal and turmeric. Beyond their botanical interest, these plants are integral to daily life in Laos, serving as core ingredients in regional cuisine, traditional herbal medicine, and religious offerings.

Massive bamboo species and climbing rattan palms dominate the dense forest understory. Rattan stems can stretch up to 200 meters, providing crucial raw materials for traditional weaving, furniture, and local construction. Specialized endemics thrive in the mineral-rich limestone formations of central Laos. This harsh, rocky terrain supports ancient cycads, delicate tree ferns, and drought-resistant succulents uniquely adapted to steep microclimates.

Forested Areas of Laos

Despite illegal logging over the past few decades, Laos still has extensive tracts of virgin forest. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), unmanaged vegetation covers up to 85 percent of the country, 50 percent of which is native forest. In terms of natural forest cover percentage, Laos ranks eleventh highest in the world. Only Cambodia has a higher proportion of natural forest cover in Southeast Asia. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Laos” by Arne Kislenko, Greenwood Press, 2009]

Researchgate

As of 2005, nearly 70 percent of the land in Laos was forested, covering about 161,420 square kilometers (62,325 square miles). However, as in much of Southeast Asia, primary forest had become relatively rare in Laos. About 9 percent of the country's total forest area, or 14,900 square kilometers (5,753 square miles), consisted of primary forest.

Forest cover totaled 161,420 square kilometers (62,325 square miles), or 69.9 percent of the country's land area. Primary forest covered 14,900 square kilometers (5,753 square miles), equal to 6.5 percent of the country's land area and 9.2 percent of its total forest area. Modified natural forest covered 144,280 square kilometers (55,706 square miles), while production plantations covered about 2,230 square kilometers (861 square miles). [Source: Mongabay.com]

In 2005, about 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of forest in Laos were affected annually by fire. Forest carbon storage was estimated at 2,342 million metric tons in above-ground biomass and 632 million metric tons in below-ground biomass. All forests were publicly owned. About 21.6 percent of forest land was classified for production, 54.7 percent for protection, 23.5 percent for conservation and 0.2 percent for social services. Plantations covered about 2,240 square kilometers (865 square miles), or 1.4 percent of total forest cover.

Timber in Laos

Despite the dwindling expanse, timber — including ironwood, mahogany, pine, redwood, and teak — and other forestry products — benzoin (resin), charcoal, and sticklac — constitute a valuable supply of potential export goods.

Forestry and timber are among Laos’s country's most important sources of revenue, and most of the timber is exported to foreign markets like Thailand and Japan. Hardwoods such as teak and rosewood are particularly prized. [Source: “Culture and Customs of Laos” by Arne Kislenko, Greenwood Press, 2009]

Fifteen types of commercial timber trees are found in Laos, including teak and rosewood. Benzoin, a resin used to make perfume, and cardamom, are obtained from Laotian timber. In the late 1990s timber accounted for up to 40 percent of Laos’s export earnings. The government is aiming to produce more value-added timber products such as furniture, processed wood and plywood. Forests not only contribute wood, but a broad range of fruits, herbals, and meat to the income of families.

In 2005, Laos removed about 682,000 cubic meters (24.1 million cubic feet) of industrial roundwood and 6.742 million cubic meters (238.1 million cubic feet) of wood fuel. The value of industrial roundwood was estimated at $40.931 million, while wood fuel was valued at $20.226 million. Non-wood forest products were not included in the available figures. The total value of forest products was estimated at $61.157 million. [Source: Mongabay.com]

Timber Industry in Laos in the 1980s and 90s

elephant hauling teak logs, The Diplomat

Since the mid-1980s widespread commercial harvesting of timber for the export market has disrupted the traditional gathering of forest products in a number of locations and contributed to extremely rapid deforestation throughout the country. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994 *]

Timber resources have been commercially exploited on a small scale since the colonial period and are an important source of foreign exchange. In 1988 wood products accounted for more than one-half of all export earnings. In 1992 timber and wood products were almost one-third of the total principal exports. Following the introduction of the New Economic Mechanism, decentralization of forest management to autonomous forest enterprises at the provincial level encouraged increased exploitation of forests. At the central and provincial levels, autonomous forest enterprises are responsible for forest management. *

The government has had to reconcile its opposing objectives of decentralized forestry management and environmental protection. In January 1989, the government imposed a ban on logging — initially announced in January 1988 as a ban on the export of unprocessed wood — although exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis. This measure was followed by the imposition of high export taxes on timber and other wood products, included in the June 1989 tax reforms.

Toward the end of 1989, logging was again permitted, but only based on quotas extended to individual forestry enterprises. In response to the restrictions, production of unprocessed logs (roundwood or timber) decreased slightly in 1989, but, according to the Asian Development Bank, production more than recovered the following year. The effect of the restrictions is most clearly shown in the export statistics for 1989 — exports of timber and wood products had decreased by 30 percent from the previous year. In 1991 a new decree banned all logging until further notice, in hopes of controlling widespread illegal logging and subsequent environmental destruction. However, there was little practical impact, and illegal logging remains widespread. The smuggling of logs to Thailand also is significant. *

Threats to Laos’s Forests

Despite a small population, undeveloped mineral deposits, and forest covering nearly 70 percent of the country, Lao's forests are threatened. Slash-and-burn agriculture, uncontrolled fires, commercial and illegal logging, and fuelwood collection resulted in the loss of 6.8 percent of the country's forests between 1990 and 2005. The deforestation rate has increased moderately since the close of the 1990s, but there is concern that the shift from a command economy toward a market-oriented economy will put increasing pressure on the forest resources of Laos.

Expanding commercial exploitation of forests, plans for additional hydroelectric facilities, foreign demands for wild animals and nonwood forest products for food and traditional medicines, and a growing population have brought new and increasing attention to the forests. Traditionally, forests have been important sources of wild foods, herbal medicines, and timber for house construction. Even into the 1990s, the government viewed the forest as a valued reserve of natural products for noncommercial household consumption. Government efforts to preserve valuable hardwoods for commercial extraction have led to measures to prohibit swidden cultivation throughout the country.

Laos has become a center point for the illegal rosewood trade. Overexploited worldwide, rosewood cutting has been outlawed in many countries including Vietnam. However, the trade has now moved into Laos and Myanmar, with rosewood eventually making its way to China for crafting into high-end furniture and other luxury goods. "Nearly all, if not all, of these rosewood exports are illegal or involve illegality at some stage in the chain," reads an the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, September 26, 2012]

Government restrictions on clearing forestland for swidden cropping in the late 1980s, along with attempts to gradually resettle upland swidden farming villages (ban) to lowland locations suitable for paddy rice cultivation, had significant effects on upland villages. Traditionally, villages rely on forest products as a food reserve during years of poor rice harvest and as a regular source of fruits and vegetables. By the 1990s, however, these gathering systems were breaking down in many areas. At the same time, international concern about environmental degradation and the loss of many wildlife species unique to Laos has also prompted the government to consider the implications of these developments. [Source: Library of Congress, 1994]

Deforestation in Laos

Deforestation is more of a problem in northern Laos, where there is a lot of slash and burn agriculture, than it is in southern Laos. In 1985 a reforestation program was initiated and laws were established in 1986 that restricted the felling of 15 types of trees, including rosewood and teak. Illegal logging is a problem. Logging in areas earmarked to be submerged by reservoirs for dams is also a problems. In some cases the timber is harvested areas earmarked for dams that are not built. Much of the logging is done by Thai logging interests. The Laotian government has made some effort to keep Thai logging companies out.

Deforestation: Forest cover in 1990: 174,140 square kilometers; Forest cover in 2000: 165,320 square kilometers; Forest cover in 2005: 161,420; Change in forest cover between 1990 and 2000: minus 780 square kilometers per year -(0.5 percent of forest); Change in forest cover between 2000 and 2005: minus 780 square kilometers per year -(0.5 percent of forest). [Source: Mongabay mongabay.com]

In 1986, the government prohibited the cutting of 15 tree varieties. At that time, forests were reportedly being cleared at a rate of about 300,000 hectares (3,000 square kilometers; 1,158 square miles) per year. Between 1983 and 1993, Laos lost another 11.3 percent of its forest and woodland area. From 1990 to 2000, the deforestation rate was about 0.4 percent per year. In 2003, about 3 percent of the country's total land area was protected. [Source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

In the 1950s, forests covered 70 percent of the land area; yet, by 1992, according to government estimates, forest coverage had decreased by nearly one-third, to just 47 percent of total land area. Deforestation increased steadily throughout the 1980s, at an annual average rate of about 1.2 percent in the first half of the decade according to the United Nations (UN) and other monitoring agencies. This rate represents the destruction of about 150,000 to 160,000 hectares annually, as compared with annual reforestation of about 2,000 hectares. The government, however, reported a deforestation rate double this figure. Deforestation results from clearing forestland for shifting cultivation and removing logs for industrial uses and fuel. The volume of logs (roundwood) removed for industrial purposes increased by about 70 percent between 1975- 77 and 1985-87, to about 330,000 cubic meters; however, this volume was dwarfed by that removed for domestic (fuel) purposes. Between 1980 and 1989, the volume of logs removed for fuel increased by about 25 percent, to about 3.7 million cubic meters; only about 100,000 cubic meters were removed for industrial purposes. By 1991 these figures had increased to approximately 3.9 million cubic meters and 106,000 cubic meters, respectively. [Source: Library of Congress , 1994]

Many of Laos’s environmental problems are related to deforestation. Expanding commercial exploitation of the forests, plans for additional hydroelectric facilities, foreign demand for wild animals and nonwood forest products for food and traditional medicines, and a growing population put increasing pressure on the forests. Deforestation not only destroyed at least 150,000 to 160,000 hectares of valuable forest annually in the 1980s, but also caused erosion — leading to siltation of reservoirs, navigation channels, and irrigation systems downstream — and reduced groundwater levels. The practice of swidden cultivation not only contributes greatly to deforestation, but, in 1987, also made Laos one of eleven countries in the world that together were responsible for over 80 percent of net world carbon emissions amounting to a per capita emission of ten tons annually, compared with the world average of 1.17 tons per capita. Further, during the Second Indochina War (1954-75), Laos was heavily bombed and left with tons of unexploded ordnance and bomb craters that ultimately altered the local ecology. *

Combating Deforestation in Laos

The government's desire to preserve valuable hardwoods for commercial extraction and to protect the forest environment, as well as international concern about environmental degradation and the loss of many wildlife species unique to Laos, have motivated efforts to prohibit swidden cultivation throughout the country. This policy has a significant effect on the livelihoods of upland villagers dependent on swidden cultivation of rice. Traditional patterns of village livelihood relied on forest products as a food reserve during years of poor rice harvest and as a regular source of fruits and vegetables. By the 1990s, however, these gathering systems were breaking down in many areas. The government has restricted the clearing of forestland for swidden cropping since the late 1980s and is attempting to resettle upland swidden farming villages in lowland locations where paddy rice cultivation is possible. However, both the government's inability to ensure compliance with the measures and the attraction of Thai money for forest products inhibits implementation of the restrictions. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Although a lack of environmental planning, surveys, and legislation diminishes the likelihood of substantial improvement of the environment in the near future, a number of decrees were issued to encourage environmental protection. These decrees include general principles for protecting forestland; prohibitions on cutting certain tree species; regulations on hunting, fishing, and the use of fire during the dry season; and regulations on the management and protection of forestland, wildlife, and fish. The use of manure and compost encouraged to help rejuvenate soil. Burning also encourages many forms of forest growth. *

The Lao government promoted reforestation to increase lumber exports and restore valuable hardwoods in areas that had been heavily logged. Under the 1981–85 economic plan, each person was required to plant five trees. The government's commitment to environmental protection is affirmed in the constitution and in its policy of finding new occupations for swidden cultivators. In 1991 the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry established a land use program under the National Forest Resource Conservation and Development Strategy. The program reserves 17.0 million hectares, including 9.6 million hectares for forest protection, 2.4 million hectares for wildlife reserves and national parks, and 5.0 million hectares for production. However, the commitment is mainly on paper: the highest priority park — Nam Theun — will be flooded by a hydroelectric dam by 2000. *

In August 2012, Dr. Souvanhpheng Bouphanouvong, President of the National Assembly of Lao's Committee on Economic Planning and Finance, announced that the Lao government was working on land reform issues, which could have major impacts on Lao's forests. "A new national land policy is a priority in Laos," Dr. Bouphanouvong added. "Land disputes are a top concern of Lao's multi-ethnic population, and as a nation, we cannot ignore this opportunity to address conflicts and alleviate poverty." [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, September 26, 2012 ==]

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) recommends that Laos enforce its current raw log ban, close loop holes, and improve monitoring of log flows in the country. In addition, the country should seek aid through the EU's burgeoning Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative, which will make selling illegally logged wood products in Europe a crime, much like the Lacey Act has in the U.S. The EIA is also calling on the Vietnamese government to investigate companies allegedly involved in the smuggling. ==

Corruption and the Plundering of Forests in Laos

Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “The forests of Lao are still suffering from widespread destruction with the government turning a blind eye to a thriving black market logging trade on the border of Laos and Vietnam, according to an update report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Last year, the EIA found that powerful players, including the Vietnamese military, were plundering Laos of its forests for raw logs. Smuggled from Laos into Vietnam, the raw logs are crafted into furniture, which are eventually exported to Europe and the U.S. Now, over a year later a new report finds little has changed. "It is business as usual," the report reads. "The plunder of Laos' forests continues unchecked. A handful of powerful firms are still moving logs across the border, aided by murky exemptions from timber export controls apparently granted by the upper echelons of the Government of Laos." [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, September 26, 2012 ==]

“While Laos has banned raw logs from export, investigations by the EIA finds that this policy has become riddled with exceptions allowing well-connected government officials to aid the underground trade. "Such exemptions are issued by a small group of senior officials in the central government, and can permit 'special' quotas of logs to be exported, usually in return for investment in and ownership of infrastructure and plantation projects across the country," the report reads. ==

The report points to several well-connected companies for perpetuating the corrupt trade, including Phonesack, Nicewood, and COECCO, the latter of which is owned by the Vietnamese military. Raw logs are often paid for in cash, leaving little paper trail, and then resold across the border for much higher prices. "There's no justification for the Government of Laos to continue channeling resources into the hands of these individuals at the expense of its people," EIA Forests Campaigner Tom Johnson, said in a press release. "Equally, the Vietnamese Government, as a professed 'special friend' of Laos, must stop the unsustainable pillage of Laos’ forests by its industry—not least by its Army." ==

Vietnamese Military Illegally Plundering Laos' Forests

Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “Dwindling forests in the Asian nation of Laos are being illegally destroyed and traded by Vietnamese companies with the Vietnamese army as one of the biggest players in this multi-million dollar smuggling operation, according to an investigation by the EIA. EIA agents went undercover as timber purchasers to discover a long trail of corruption and poor enforcement from the destruction of Laos forests to furniture factories in Vietnam to stores in the USA and Europe. Even a ban on exporting raw timber out of Laos has done little to stop the plunder of the nation's forests for outside gain. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com, July 28, 2011 ^]

"EIA first exposed the illicit log trade between Laos and Vietnam in 2008, and our latest investigations reveal that sadly nothing has changed," EIA Head of Forest Campaign Faith Doherty said in a press release. One of the largest logging operators in the investigation was the Vietnamese Company of Economic Cooperation (COECCO). However, it was discovered that this company, which specialized in logging near dam construction sites, was owned by the Vietnamese Military Zone 4. COECCO has been logging forests with impunity for two decades, according to the EIA. ^

“The EIA report estimates that around 500,000 cubic meters of logs make their way from Laos to Vietnam annually with logs coming from "some of the last intact tropical forests in the Mekong region." Local people (70 percent of Lao people live in rural areas) are suffering the loss of the forest resources on which they depend, while, according to the EIA, the only beneficiaries in Laos of this underground trade are corrupt officials and criminal business people. ^

"The governments of Vietnam and Laos urgently need to work together to stem the flow of logs and curb the over-exploitation of Laos’ precious forests before it’s too late, and the Vietnamese military must be excluded from logging operations in Laos," says Doherty. "With a new Timber Regulation coming into force within European markets in 2013, both Vietnam and Laos have a lot at stake and urgently need to work with the European Union." ^

World Bank Funding Illegal Logging in Cambodia and Laos?

A new report by environmental watchdog Global Witness found that two Vietnamese-owned rubber companies, which — with the financial support of Deutsche Bank, an arm of the World Bank and local governments — have acquired more than 500,000 acres of land in Cambodia and neighboring Laos. The companies and officials involved have made millions growing resin trees and harvesting their sap to make rubber, while thousands of poor Cambodians and Laotians lost the little they had. Villagers have been sued and prosecuted, intimidated, threatened and shot at while trying to defend their livelihoods. [Source: Denise Hruby, Global Post, May 14, 2013 |*|]

According to Global Post: “The companies in question continue undeterred despite allegedly being aware that many of their undertakings, such as the extensive logging of timber in national parks, are illegal, according to "Rubber Barons," the report released by London-based Global Witness on Monday that sheds light on the secretive operations of Hoan Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) and the Vietnamese Rubber Group (VRG). |*|

“Germany's Deutsche Bank, according to the report, holds $3.3 million in a subsidiary of VRG, which is chiefly owned by the Vietnamese government, and $4.5 million in the privately owned HAGL. The International Finance Cooperation (IFC), which is an arm of the World Bank, indirectly funds HAGL through its $14.95 million share in a Vietnam-based fund that invests in HAGL. “We’ve known for some time that corrupt politicians in Cambodia and Laos are orchestrating the land-grabbing crisis that is doing so much damage in the region. This report completes the picture by exposing the pivotal role of Vietnam’s rubber barons and their financiers, Deutsche Bank and IFC,” said Megan MacInnes, who runs Global Witness’ land team. |*|

“Both Southeast Asian governments have argued that the land concessions granted to HAGL and VRG will help develop the poor countries and turn simple, self-reliant farmers into plantation workers. But in reality, the 165,000 acres HAGL, VRG and affiliated companies hold in Laos and the 445,000 acres Global Witness identified in northeastern Cambodia have brought misery and despair to communities that depend on the forests, the report shows. Bulldozers arriving are often the first sign of a fight for land the poor countryside stands to lose. Houses have been demolished, farms flattened, cemeteries dug up, and trees in which holly spirits are said to live have been uprooted. |*|

HAGL and VRG have made millions off the plantations and the illegal selling of luxury wood. Between 2001 and 2011, prices for natural rubber increased ten-fold and reached about $3,600 per tonne last year, when Vietnam became the world's third-largest producer of rubber. Most rubber is shipped to China, where it is processed and exported to the United States and Japan. As demand surges, the tight supply has fueled HAGL's and VRG's land-grabbing in Cambodia and Laos. In addition, luxury rosewood grows inside the land concessions, which is illegally logged and exported, Global Witness says.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Laos-Guide-999.com,, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; CIA World Factbook, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated September 2026