Asia
RNRRS legacy
Research reports for "Lao PDR"
RNRRS legacy
Research reports for "Lao PDR"
- Foods from water bodies improve life for the very poor
Simple new ways of managing wild and cultured fish in paddy fields, ponds and lakes mean that people have more reliable supplies of food, better diets and better nutrition. For centuries, the rural poor have relied on wild fish, plants, snails and other foods. But these are fast disappearing because of over-exploitation, dwindling flood plains and more intensive farming. People - especially the poorest - in Northeast Thailand, lowland Cambodia and Bangladesh are already reaping the benefits of these systems and they are being strongly promoted in Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Lao PDR. There is also great potential in hilly agricultural and tropical forest systems where rainfall is seasonal. (Ref: AFGP02) - Combating fish diseases improves farmers' returns
Practical and cost-effective methods are now available to help farmers detect fish-borne diseases quickly and accurately. Severe disease epidemics threaten aquaculture, particularly smallholder production. The new methods - and simple management improvements - lower the costs of treating disease and give farmers higher yields of better quality fish. These easy-to-use practices for safe and healthy production of catfish and shrimp are already widely used in Vietnam, Thailand and India. Six Asian governments are also taking up these methods to improve fish health management services. Because people are becoming more aware of the need for better fish disease control in aquaculture these techniques could have a major impact. (Ref: AFGP05) - Working more closely with producers: a new guide
'Participatory Livestock Research - A Guide', is a new book designed to help researchers avoid the problem of new technologies not being adopted by small livestock keepers. Many technologies have not been adopted in the past for a range of reasons. Some, for example, did not take into account the limited resources of poor users, like lack of land, while others targeted problems that poor producers did not feel were urgent. The new book teaches its readers how to work more closely with end users, to ensure that the final result is something that is wanted and can be used. It details the methods and principles applied to participatory technology development, and backs this up with a range of case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. (Ref: LPP27) - Helping fishers make smarter decisions
Market information systems, often based on simple mobile phone and local-centre web access, help poorer groups make smarter decisions. Although market intelligence systems are widespread globally, they mostly serve large companies in developed countries. Flexible local networks connecting producers, traders, NGOs, the public sector and consumers help them quickly find and use the information they need. Artisanal fishers have rapidly caught on to using mobile phones to find out where they can get the best prices for their catch. 'One Stop Shops' in Bangladesh, and similar networks in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, also offer fishers cheap local access to market information. These simple systems could have a major impact, particularly in countries where aquaculture is booming. (Ref: AFGP07) - Learning-by-doing in fisheries management
Collective learning is helping communities make the most of small fisheries. Often, these fisheries are open to all and so, ideally, all stakeholders need to be involved in managing them. But stakeholders often don't understand all the issues that need to be considered and how changes in the way they do things - new technologies or management strategies - will benefit them. The learning-by-doing approach helps those with interests in the fishery share information, plan, manage, adapt and reap the benefits of working together. Co-management and learning-by-doing approaches have already proven successful in rice-fish systems in India and Southeast Asia. They could have a major impact on poor producers' livelihoods - benefiting not only fishers but also those depending on other common-pool resources. (Ref: FMSP07) - New market chain approach gives fast results
The Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) stimulates networking, links small farmers to markets and fosters productive partnerships based on trust and knowledge sharing. Active participation - or a lack of it - by the many actors along the food chain can make or break the system. PMCA systematically involves people in identifying and assessing market opportunities and identifying commercial, technical and institutional innovations. A poverty filter helps identify the greatest probabilities of pro-poor impact. In just three to six months, partners are typically able to get new market products and innovations into use. PMCA is currently being applied in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Nicaragua, in Latin America, as well as in Laos, Syria and Uganda. Extensive testing has led to the publication of a PMCA User Guide. (Ref: CPH01) - Software to boost or restore natural fisheries
Newly-released EnhanceFish software helps fisheries staff calculate the costs and benefits - both social and economic - of boosting wild fisheries by stocking them with hatchery-reared fish. The software can be used to determine whether it's worthwhile to improve a fishery and, if so, with what, when and how. Although enhancing natural fisheries can improve incomes and have other social benefits, fisheries staff need to have a good understanding of the overall system and of the likely biological and socio-economic impacts. The package guides them through analyses and helps them advise and work with stakeholders in specific fisheries. EnhanceFish is already being used in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. Strong interest from China and other governments indicate that this software has major potential to raise productivity and restore fisheries. (Ref: FMSP10)
RNRRS legacy: Asia
External resources
 |
Bangladesh at a glance
Source World Bank - Bangladesh: Data & Statistics (35KB) |
- Cambodia - background information
Source: World Bank - Fiji - background information
Source: World Bank
|
India at a glance
Source World Bank - India: Data & Statistics (35KB) |
|
Nepal at a glance
Source World Bank - Nepal: Data & Statistics (35KB) |
|
Sri Lanka at a glance
Source World Bank - Sri Lanka: Data & Statistics (35KB) |
Archive
|
Bangladesh takes up the challenge Innovation Challenge Fund brochure 1 2008 (PDF 480KB) |
|
|
Nepal takes up the challenge Innovation Challenge Fund brochure 2 2008 (PDF 410KB) |
|
|
India takes up the challenge Innovation Challenge Fund brochure 3 2008 (PDF 320KB) |
|
|
Enabling the poor to benefit from research RIU introductory flyer Asian version - in English 2008 (PDF 270KB) |
|
|
Bangladesh RIU country assessment, executive summary Authors: Jill Lenné, Craig Meisner, Harriet Matsaert 2007 (PDF 60KB) |
