Land degradation in Laos: Materiality and discourses

Building on recent debates related to environment change an knowledge production, this paper examines the social construction and political outcomes of the current official discourse on land degradation in laos. Despite a significant lack of empirical evidence, upland degradation is represented by government of the country . The paper argues that the development policy resulting from this particular perspective supports and legitimates the attempt of the lowland political elites to expand their control over upland resources and populations.