Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into Ecosystem-based Adaptation: A Comparative Multiple-Case Study of Seven Villages in the Siphandone Islands, Lao PDR

Author

Lamphoun Phonphomphun

Abstract

 Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is widely promoted across the Mekong region, and policy consistently endorses the use of local knowledge. Yet, evidence rarely demonstrates whether Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) shapes adaptation decisions. This study examined how TEK is integrated into EbA planning and practice in the Siphandone islands of Khong District, Champasack Province, Lao PDR. A qualitative comparative multiple-case design was applied to seven villages, organized into a Tourism-Heavy Cluster and a Remote, Dam-Impacted Border Cluster. Data were generated through seven village in-depth interviews, seven focus group discussions, three institutional key-informant interviews, structured field observation, and documentary review, and were analyzed using a six-step procedure with two-cycle coding that preserved local Lao terminology. Integration was assessed against a decision-point standard, defined as the traceable influence of TEK on site selection, species choice, infrastructure design, enforcement, and monitoring. Four findings emerged. TEK remains culturally active but has lost predictive reliability, a condition described here as ecological disorientation rather than cultural loss. Riverbank erosion intensified through divergent pathways, driven by boat wakes and riverfront development in tourism-exposed villages and by regulated discharge in dam-affected villages. Solar-powered water infrastructure interacted productively with TEK-based riparian bio-engineering, with water sources differentiated. Fish Conservation Zone compliance was strongest where formal rules were reinforced by cultural governance, particularly the moral sanction of Phid-Heet. Across villages, EbA perception was high, but implementation lagged, indicating a knowledge-to-action gap rather than a knowledge deficit. Integration was strong in enforcement, riparian species selection, and irrigation management, and weak in formal planning, budgeting, and monitoring indicator design. The study concludes that TEK-EbA integration is feasible but conditional, and proposes an integrated socio-cultural approach combining infrastructure, native bio-engineering, and cultural governance.

Keywords

Traditional Ecological Knowledge; Ecosystem-based Adaptation; Fish Conservation Zone; climate resilience; Mekong

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References

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