Eyes in the forest: how camera traps empower people and protect biodiversity in Lao PDR

This is a part of the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) Lower Mekong project funded by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK DEFRA), and implemented by FFI, SNV, and IUCN since 2023. BLF has trained dozens of government staff and community members in camera trapping and acoustic monitoring. 

This training has empowered local rangers and villagers working as biodiversity guardians in Hin Nam No National Park in Khammouane Province, Yod Nam Mo-Phou Samsoum National Protected Area in Xiengkhouang Province, the National Protection forests of Phou Louang, Phou Khao Nok in Khammouane Province and Namkong-Xexu in Attapeu Province. 

Trainees learning to set up camera traps and audiomoths in Mok District © IUCN Lao PDR

“Before, we only patrolled. Now, we can collect real data that shows what species live here,” said a district forestry officer during a recent training in Khammouane Province.

This training equipped participants with the skills to deploy cameras and AudioMoth devices and use ArcGIS Survey123 for data collection and management.

The results are remarkable. Hundreds of cameras installed have revealed a treasure trove of wildlife from endangered ungulates to elusive carnivores, species that are threatened elsewhere but still thrive in these landscapes. These findings underscore the global importance of forests in Lao PDR and the urgent need to safeguard them.

Challenges including heavy rains, swollen rivers, and remote terrain tested the team’s resilience. Yet, cooperation between government agencies and villagers ensured success.

“Every time we retrieve a camera, it feels like opening a window into the hidden world of our forests,” shared a community patroller from Boualapha.

The data collected will inform protected area management plans and guide local patrols. Camera traps and acoustic devices are more than tools: they represent a commitment to science-based conservation and shared stewardship of biodiversity.

On the job training for DAFO staff and government intern from Phou Louang Phou Khao Nok National Protection Forest & Hin Nam No National Park © IUCN Lao PDR