merina lohani sitoula m.sc. natural resources management asian institute of technology august 2008...
TRANSCRIPT
Merina Lohani SitoulaM.Sc. Natural Resources Management
Asian Institute of TechnologyAugust 2008
FINAL DEFENSEMAY 17, 2010
An Assessment of Foreign Land Acquisition Processes in Four GMS countries: Case Studies of Impacts on Livelihoods in Cambodia and Lao PDR
Literature review
KII
Household survey
OBJECTIVES
To document land acquisition modalities and procedures, database and guiding laws/policies by foreign companies for large scale plantations of agri-business commodities in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR;
To assess the socio-economic impacts of large scale agri-business plantations on the livelihoods of the local people in Laos and Cambodia on case study basis; and
- To assess the status of capital asset; and
- To identify the direct and indirect impacts of plantations on the livelihood of the local people/community.
To recommend strategies, based on the findings, which may overcome the gaps to supplement the processes of rural development.
SITE MAP OF LAOS
Henankouanin Company Ltd. (Chinese)
3,780 ha for cassava
SITE MAP OF CAMBODIA
Phu Rieng Company Ltd. (Vietnam)-4906 ha
Dong Nai Company Ltd. (Vietnam)- 1082 ha
LAND ACQUISITION PROCEDURES IN THE FOUR GMS COUNTRIES
Countries Laos Cambodia Thailand Vietnam
Ministries In-charge
NLMA/MAF/MPI
CDC/MAFF/MLMUPC
BOI/Ministry of Industry
IPB/Ministry of Planning & Investment
Modalities ELC and contract farming
ELC and contract farming
Lease Lease
Foreign equity in investment
100% foreign ownership allowed
100% foreign ownership allowed
Only 49% foreign ownership allowed
100% foreign ownership allowed
Environment certification
Required Required Required Required
Special specifications for foreign investors
Min. investment : US$ 20 million-Labor: 90% must be Laotian
-Min. investment :over US$ 1 million- Labor: Preference for Cambodian nationals
Min. investment : US$ 62500-Labor: Only experts/skilled foreign employees allowed
Capital investment limited to 30% only (foreigner)-Labor: High priority for Vietnamese
SOME KEY DIFFERENCES IN THE LAWS/POLICIES
Land acquisition through concession: Cambodia and LaosLand acquisition through lease only : Thailand and Vietnam
Concession/lease period: Cambodia -70 years; Laos and Vietnam -50 years; Thailand -30 years
100% ownership by foreigners: Not allowed in Thailand
Business License issued only after granting environment certificate in Laos ; issued after IEE report submission in Cambodia
Non-recognition of indigenous people in Laotian Law.
Only Laos strictly directs 90% Laotian labor force recruitment.
Thailand has comparatively high rate. Working hours for labors is comparatively less in Laos.
Laos is venturing into communal land titling while Cambodia is giving Social Land Concessions
Facilitating factorsConstraining factors
STATUS OF CAPITAL ASSETS
NATURAL CAPITAL
Districts Land Holding (ha)
Landless HHs
Average land holding (ha)
Snoul 0.05-0.1 ha 2 1.4
Sambour 1.01-2 & 2.01-5 ha.
0 2.3
Phalanxay 2.01-5 ha. 2 3
FOOD SUFFICIENCY
6.913.2
17.8
41.436.8
28.6
20.715.8
3.6
3134.2
50
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Snoul Sambor Phalanxay
< 3mths 3-6 mths 6-9 mths >9mths
HHs having food not sufficient for whole year
Snoul: 75.9%Sambor: 68.4%
Phalanxay: 48.3%
FINANCIAL CAPITAL
82.7 81.5
93.186.2
31.541.3
6.80
6.817.2
0 0
37.9 36.8 34.4
20.6
44.7
20.6
0
20
40
60
80
100
Snoul Sambor PhalanxayStudy Area
Perc
enta
ge
Agriculture NTFP collection Civil service Plantation worker Private enterprise Other jobs
Occupation
17.2
23.720.720.7
23.7 24.1
48.3
39.4
31
3.4 5.3
17.3
10.47.9 6.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Snoul Sambor PhalanxayAnnual Income
Perc
entag
e
< 500 501-1000 1001-2000 2001-3000 3001-10000
Average annual income from NTFP collection US$
300
FINANCIAL CAPITAL CONTD…
6.92.6
58.6
34.5
23.727.7
41.4
57.9
10.310.3 10.5
06.9 5.3 3.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Snoul Sambor Phalanxay
Expenditure
Perc
enta
ge
<500 501-1000 1001-2000 2001-3000 3001-6000
Expense on food:52.8% in Snoul; 54.9% in Sambor
and 68% in Phalanxay is spent on food.
HUMAN CAPITAL
Health Status:44.8% hhs in Snoul and 57.9% hhs in Sambor do not have good health condition. Majority in Phalanxay have fair health.
Trainings and Skills:Large majority in Snoul and Sambor are untrained and unskilled. Phalanxay has 44.8% hhs with trained members in various community development fields.
39.433.7 33.4
52 53.546.7
6.610.1 11.6
2 2.78.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Snoul Sambor Phalanxay
Study Area
Perc
entag
e
Non-literate Primary education Secondary education Higher secondary and above
HUMAN CAPITAL CONTD…
38.234.8
41.7
29 31.625
19.7 19.8 18.611.8 10.1 10.9
1.3 3.7 3.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
Snoul Sambor Phalanxay
Study Area
Perce
ntage
<14 15-29 30-44 45-59 >60
PHYSICAL CAPITAL
District Access to credit (%
hhs)
Loan taken from
(% hhs)
Livestock ownership
(% hhs)
Access to infrastructure and facilities
Snoul 48.3% Micro-credit institutions
89.7 Motorable road, primary
school&district hospital
Sambour 78.9% Friends/relatives
86.8% Motorable road, primary
school&district hospital
Phalanxay 58.6% Bank 76% Electricity and wells in addition.
IMPACTS ON LIVELIHOOD
Land grabbing: 3 hhs each in Snoul and Sambor and 6 hhs in Phalanxay claimed their land ( 0.5-5 ha)taken by the Companies. Of these only 1 hh in Snoul and 1hh in Phalanxay were compensated.
Private enterprises like making coal, wood trade based on the forest resources at risk due to loss of forest.
22% in Sambor and 3% in Phalanxay even faced decrease in income.
Livestock rearing suffering due to loss of grazing land.
Risk in rearing livestock due to fear of compensation if cattle enter plantation area and destroy crops.
IMPACTS ON LIVELIHOOD Contd….
Fear of losing cattle, which are hurt/killed by company guards.
Lack of trust was observed among the laborers and the Company and there is no feeling of ownership among the workers as they feel exploited. People doubt the Company’s intention in Phalanxay.
Local employment not promising and existing recruitment of Cambodians decreasing with increase in Vietnamese labor import.
Loss of local forest and biodiversity.
IMPACT ON NTFP COLLECTION
PERCEPTIONS ON BENEFITS AND SATISFACTION
Perceptions
In Snoul, 55.2% feel plantations are somewhat beneficial and 24% very harmful.
In Sambor, 36.8% feel somewhat beneficial, 21.1% no effect and 28.9% not beneficial.
In Phalanxay, 70.8% feel its very harmful and 20.8% say no effect.
Satisfaction
In Snoul, satisfaction level was neutral. Some still feel, money given compared to hrs. worked is less.
In Sambor, laborers are not satisfied with the wage and complained of bias in payment (with the villagers).
In Phalanxay also it is a mixed opinion between satisfied and dissatisfied.
CAPITAL INDICESDistrict Social
capital Human capital
Natural capital
Physical capital
Financial capital
Snoul 0.385 0.151 0.659 0.551 0.232
Sambour 0.258 0.161 0.565 0.769 0.294
Phalanxay 0.681 0.321 0.681 0.676 0.209
POLICY INTO ACTION: IMPLEMENTATION GAPS AND IMPACTS
Overlapping policy and lack of coordination between horizontal and vertical levels of line agencies.
Lack of transparency.
Inadequate monitoring and supervision.
Lack of strict enforcement of rules and regulations.
Inadequate information dissemination and public consultation.
Violation of traditional rights and non-consideration for community livelihood.
CONCLUSION Weak implementation and enforcement of existing laws/regulations.
Transparency of database and information are lacking.
Only sporadic employment generation at local level as most of the laborers are imported from other villages/provinces.
Measurable negative impacts like land acquisition without compensation to the farmers, loss of biodiversity and NTFPs, impacts on livestock rearing.
Depleting quality and quantity of NTFPs have direct negative impact both on financial capital and food security.
Need to learn lessons from the history of Thai forestry regarding the involvement of community. Laos has been promoting contract farming.
No evidences of programs focused towards human resource development in Cambodia.
Status of concession and its impacts are more or less similar in Cambodia and Laos in many respects, in Laos however things seems to be getting somewhat better in terms of institutional arrangements, laws/policies and governance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For Public Authorities:
Establish process monitoring systemNeed of a single governing body for ELCs for Cambodia. Strict prescription of labor % age by Cambodian law.Credit facilitation and capacity building programs for alternative
livelihood options.Peoples’ participation in all stages of planning, implementing and
decision-making.Dissemination of clear and updated information to the community.Good health and education facilities for nurturing capable human
resources.Integration of rural development with natural resources
management.
SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
A study based on surveys of the plantation workers may be undertaken to assess the actual benefits of the plantation versus the objectives of the governments.
SWOT analysis of the laws/policies across the GMS countries.
Plantations induced land use change and impacts on the environment, soil and water.
!!! KHAWP JAI !!! !!! AW KUNH!!!
!!! THANK YOU !!!!!! CÁM ƠN !!!!!! KHOB-KHUN!!!