Evaluation of Ecosystem Services of Savannakhet, Lao PDR

Nelakhom, Ms Phalida (2026) Evaluation of Ecosystem Services of Savannakhet, Lao PDR. MA/MSc, Erdőmérnöki Kar.

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

Savannakhet Province in southern of Laos possesses a layered eco-cultural tourism resource base encompassing dry dipterocarp forest wildlife habitats, ethnic minority communities, sacred Buddhist heritage, pre-Angkorian archaeology, and French colonial urban fabric, that remains substantially underdeveloped as a national or international tourism destination. The eco-cultural tourism resources of Savannakhet are of profound significance at multiple scales for local communities, for the Lao national development agenda, and for regional biodiversity conservation. At the community level, the province’s forests, wetlands, wildlife, and cultural heritage represent the foundational asset base upon which rural livelihoods are constructed. For the ethnic minority populations of the upland districts such as Bru, Katang, and Phutai communities whose subsistence systems are deeply embedded in forest ecosystems, these resources provide not only material sustenance through non-timber forest products, freshwater fisheries, and agricultural land, but also spiritual meaning, cultural identity, and place attachment that cannot be disaggregated from their economic value. The loss or degradation of these resources therefore constitutes not merely an environmental harm but a socio-cultural one, threatening the resilience of already vulnerable communities in one of the poorest provinces in Laos. At the national scale, Savannakhet's significance is amplified by its demographic weight: as the most populous province in Lao PDR and the one accounting for the largest share approximately 20.6% of the country's total poor population, the province's development trajectory has outsized consequences for national poverty reduction goals and for Laos' commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The eco-cultural tourism sector, if developed strategically, represents one of the few growth pathways in the province that is simultaneously compatible with forest conservation, capable of generating income for women and ethnic minorities, and able to leverage the province's extraordinary but underutilised natural and cultural heritage assets including the as-yet unrevealed Sikhottaboon-era archaeological treasure into a nationally significant tourism destination. Furthermore, Savannakhet's position at the centre of the East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC) connecting Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam gives its tourism development a regional economic dimension: a well-managed eco-cultural destination on this corridor could capture a share of the growing regional tourism flow that currently bypasses the province entirely. A major research gap still exists in the tangible and transparent assessment of ecosystem services, despite the ecosystem's acknowledged significance in Savannakhet Province as a resource foundation for economic growth. Insufficient data-driven decision-making and investment in sustainable conservation at the local level are caused by the absence of quantitative data that connects the economic worth of ecotourism and cultural tourism with the integrity of nature. This thesis directly fills that lacuna by producing the first systematic evaluation of ecosystem services in relation to eco-cultural tourism in Savannakhet Province.

Angol cím

Evaluation of Ecosystem Services for the Development of Sustainability Strategies in Eco-Cultural Tourism: A case study of Savannakhet, Lao PDR

Intézmény

Soproni Egyetem

Kar

Erdőmérnöki Kar

Tanszékcsoport/intézet

EMK - Környezet- és Természetvédelmi Intézet

Szak

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

Témavezető(k)

Helyi kari azonosító

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Mű típusa:	Diplomadolgozat (MA/MSc)
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	Ms Phalida Nelakhom
Dátum:	23 Ápr 2026 13:14
Utolsó módosítás:	23 Ápr 2026 13:14
URI:	http://diploma.uni-sopron.hu/id/eprint/16949

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