Vulnerability, flooding and migration in Lao PDRINSIGHTS FROM A STUDY OF SELECTED VILLAGES

Albert M Salamanca

http://tinyurl.com/k3c92ek

Research questions and methods

How do floods intersect with migration in ASEAN?

• What are the types of vulnerabilities of people living in communities that experience flooding?

• To what extent does migration shape these peoples’ vulnerabilities in communities that experience flooding?

• How does the policy environment interact with flooding, migration and vulnerability?

Survey

Key characteristics of Laos (Source: http://data.worldbank.org/country/lao-pdr and World Development Indicators)

Source: GFDRR, http://tinyurl.com/p9ayzkt

Pha Vieng (mix Hmong & Khmu) Huay Man (Khmu) Ban Lao (Lowland Lao)

Dong Yang (Lowland Lao)

Two field sites

Selected Findings• About 71% of 158 respondents are born at the current place of residence;

others were mostly ‘resettled’

• Only 4% of HHs were not negatively affected by the flooding during the last two years, 77% badly affected

• 73% of respondents did not think there is a relationship between flooding and migration, presumably because migration has not yet been deployed as a coping strategy

• Around 95% of HH members live in current residence

Location of occupation of productive HH members No %

Within the same village where R currently resides 451 87.91

In the different village in the same town where R currently resides 31 6.04

In different province 11 2.14

Another country 7 1.36 Not known 6 1.17 In a different town in the same province 4 0.78 Cross-border 3 0.58 Total 513 100.00

Geography of Household Livelihoods

94%

Coping Strategies during the Previous Flood Count %Move materials, belongings, animals and plants from the lowland or moving furnitures and other household goods to higher grounds

43 30.50

Done nothing 32 22.70 Allow floodwater to naturally drain out through evaporation and absorption of the soil

19 13.48

Fatalism - went to bed when it flooded, didn't believe it was worth rebuilding irrigation channels

7 4.96

Plant trees around the house to protect it 7 4.96 Built/bought a boat 6 4.26 Dug trenches to drain water out of flooded areas 5 3.55 Using floatsams (floating debris) to build fence/dyke to protect the house

5 3.55

Stocking food/supplies during the dry season in preparation for flooding

4 2.84

Re-plant destroyed crops, vegetables etc 3 2.13 Short-term move to higher land 2 1.42 Stabilise lowland areas with trees and grass 2 1.42 Made sandbags 2 1.42

They have developed a re-planting system to re-plant flooded areas 2 1.42

Prepared medicine for people and animals 1 0.71 Worked together, cooperated 1 0.71 Total (n) 141 100.00

Emerging Insights

In other words…