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A Connectivity Approach to Agricultural Diffuse Pollution in Tropical Montane Catchments Dominated by Swidden Landscapes

Author

Listed:
  • Luc Sandevoir

    (Laboratoire de Géographie Physique CNRS LGP-UMR 8591, Université Paris Est-Créteil, 94320 Thiais, France)

  • Laurent Lespez

    (Laboratoire de Géographie Physique CNRS LGP-UMR 8591, Université Paris Est-Créteil, 94320 Thiais, France)

  • Candide Lissak

    (Laboratoire IDEES-Caen CNRS UMR 6266, Université Caen Normandie, 14032 Caen, France)

Abstract

Shifting cultivation is widely practiced in many tropical mountainous watersheds. Agricultural practices are changing with the intensification of activities and the development of industrial monocultures associated with increasing land use and the use of pesticides and fertilisers. These changes have consequences for the evolution of sediment transfers in watersheds, resulting in new vulnerabilities for the inhabitants. This article shows the evolution of structural connectivity over 5 years in the village of Houaylack-Vangven, located in northern Laos, and its potential links with agricultural diffuse pollution. To develop a structural source-to-sink model to understand sediment transfers, our method was based on open-access data and various geographical tools. Field surveys were conducted to identify areas vulnerable to erosion and sediment transfers. The sources and sinks were then located using remote sensing techniques and image interpretation to then characterise connectivity rates. Finally, the relationship between the sources and sinks was analysed by graph theory to explore the potentialities for assessing the connectivity and exposure of sediment sinks. The main results are twofold: sinks coincide with areas at risk of contamination by pesticides and fertilisers, and the structural connectivity increases with the increasing of the source surfaces (swidden plots) due to the ongoing agricultural transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Luc Sandevoir & Laurent Lespez & Candide Lissak, 2023. "A Connectivity Approach to Agricultural Diffuse Pollution in Tropical Montane Catchments Dominated by Swidden Landscapes," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-25, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:784-:d:1111852
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Suhardiman, Diana & Keovilignavong, Oulavanh & Kenney-Lazar, Miles, 2019. "The territorial politics of land use planning in Laos," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 346-356.
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    3. Pierret, A. & de Rouw, A., 2011. "Reshaping upland farming policies to support nature and livelihoods: lessons from soil erosion in Southeast Asia with emphasis on Lao PDR. [Report of the Management of Soil Erosion Consortium (MSEC) P," IWMI Research Reports H044693, International Water Management Institute.
    4. Kallio, Maarit Helena & Hogarth, Nicholas John & Moeliono, Moira & Brockhaus, Maria & Cole, Robert & Waty Bong, Indah & Wong, Grace Yee, 2019. "The colour of maize: Visions of green growth and farmers perceptions in northern Laos," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 185-194.
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