Celebrating 7 Years of Conservation Impact: Association Anoulak and Nakai-Nam Theun National Park Conclude MoU Partnership
May 16, 2025
We are proud to announce the release of three new videos that highlight key achievements from our project, “Community Resilience and Biodiversity Conservation in Nakai District, Lao PDR”, which we have initiated and supported since 2020.
These videos (in Lao and English versions) showcase the inspiring work carried out by communities in the Thaiphaibanh village cluster—one of the three clusters within Nakai-Nam Theun National Park—where villagers are most dependent on natural resources for their daily livelihoods and are among the most vulnerable in terms of food security and income.
The three videos focus on the following themes:
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The Handicraft Value Chain
A behind-the-scenes look at how local handicrafts are made and marketed, following the entire process from harvesting raw materials to the sale of finished products. The video highlights the creation of a sustainable village-level value chain that brings income to local households.
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Sustainable Harvesting and Traditional Techniques
This video demonstrates how local artisans apply traditional, low-impact harvesting methods to gather forest materials. These practices are rooted in cultural knowledge and play a crucial role in conserving forest biodiversity.
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Restoration of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
Highlighting the village-based restoration programs, this video shows how communities are actively planting and regenerating important NTFP species to ensure long-term sustainability of the raw materials used in their crafts.
Since 2020, this project has aimed to:
- Support local communities in developing sustainable and innovative income sources while preserving traditional craftsmanship and cultural identity;
- Reduce pressure on natural resources within Nakai-Nam Theun National Park to support biodiversity conservation.
At the core of our work is the promotion of sustainable use and management of native non-timber forest products. Through capacity-building, market access, and restoration activities, communities have developed stronger resilience and ownership over their livelihoods and natural resources.
We are pleased to share that the project has now reached a point where it can run independently. The crafters are officially registered as a handicraft group at the district level, and their activities are now sustained through income generated from product sales. Handicrafts are sold at the Nakai shop—a sales outlet we helped establish—and distributed across Laos through an online platform.
These videos not only document a successful conservation and community development model, but also celebrate the strength and creativity of the local people who are leading the way.