Shifting cultivation and expansion of commercial agriculture in Laos

Abstract

In Laos, shifting cultivation is a traditional practice where natural vegetation is cleared using fire, followed by temporary farming and extended periods of fallow for regrowth. Population and globalisation pressures have recently intensified fires, as competition for land grows and more areas are burned for commercial agricultural use. This project analyses historic and real-time fire data, alongside land use data to provide new insights into the agricultural fires in Laos.