Mekong Watch has been researching the use of natural resources and producing documentaries from the north to the south of Laos since around 2001. Over the past 20 years or so, Laos has undergone rapid changes. Some of the natural settings and livelihoods we recorded during this time have already been lost or changed. In addition, the spread of the novel coronavirus since 2020 has severely restricted global movements and economic activities. Because of this, we felt that we wanted to create a website where we could share with people living in Laos and people who have an interest in Laos our record of the richness of the natural environment of Laos and the wisdom of the people who have made use of it for their daily lives.
The topics we have taken up here include the natural resources, the forests and rivers, of Laos, the wisdom of people who “extract” resources from the natural environment while showing respect for the spirits of the land and forests, as well as the technology used to create various kinds of tools from natural materials. As global environmental problems become increasingly serious, we believe that there is great significance in recalling the recent past of Laos at this time. We hope that people accessing this website will be stimulated to ask elderly people in their communities about the past or to research their own village, and that this will help to create various forms of communication among family members and friends, at schools, or online.