Crested gibbons are highly threatened by development. Currently the largest populations exist here in Laos because it is relatively undeveloped compared to neighboring Thailand, China, and Vietnam. These neighbors seek to exploit the remaining natural resources in Laos through hydropower development for export of electricity (dams on the Mekong!), logging, and harvesting of wildlife for the illegal pet trade or Chinese medicine (ground up gibbon bones are supposedly an aphrodisiac). Aside from pressure from neighbors, Laos has its own internal pressures. Due to foreign investment development has been rapid in recent years. The most obvious changes are the construction of dams and roads. Roads benefit the local population of Laos because they enable better transport of food, building materials, and people. The Lao public road system, which totals 13,100 kilometers, is mostly in a deteriorated condition. At present, only 19% of this total network is paved. Repairing the roads that exist and building more roads could benefit many people. The spine of the road system consists of National Road No 13 (1,370 kilometers) which links the north with the south, passing through the major urbanized areas of Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Savannakhet and Pakse. Road No 13 is the most well maintained road in Laos and serves as the major highway for transport of materials from north to south.
Recently the Lao government (and likely foreign sponsors who are unnamed but will surely benefit in some way) have decided to build a road that cuts through the middle of the country heading north to south. This will enable transport of goods and people through the country without having to go out of the way along the Mekong through the major cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. While this sounds like a good idea, it is disastrous from a conservation perspective. This new road is shrouded in secrecy. The government will not tell conservation NGOs the location of the road because the road cuts through and/or borders several protected areas. One segment of the road happens to be only 1 hour walk from my study site! I am the first foreigner to take photos of it in this area.
The new road 1 hour walk from study site
Fragments of the road are near completion but they are not all attached.
Bridge connecting ChomThom village to Khontao village
Almost finished here!
It is obvious this road is meant to be quite large allowing 2 lanes of traffic. It will be paved allowing large trucks and large numbers of people into areas that were previously extremely difficult to get to (read my blog “finding crested gibbons” to learn more about the difficulty getting to some areas). The more people who have access to an area, the more hunting and logging is possible. I have already seen that large tracts of forest near inhabited areas are virtually empty of wildlife due to hunting. The road will also bring change, some positive, some negative, for the village people who are relatively isolated at present.
People living in relative isolation will confront rapid change when the road is finished
The villages here are quite self-sufficient growing all their own vegetables
Cute kids
When the road is finished, what will happen to the gibbon groups that remain? Will they attempt to flee to a new area farther from people? Or will they be shot as soon as the first truck load of people passes by them hearing their morning song? It is a very worrisome situation.
All for now!