1. IKEGUCHI, A. Nagoya Sangyo University ikeguchi@nagoya-su.ac.jp
NAFRI&NUOL&Zubzub Workshop of Eco-history project in Laos,
Study of resource-use dynamics through household survey: Prospects and research questions
I am Ikeguchi. Today I would like to introduce you about household questionnaire survey which we are carrying in Dongkuwaay village in Xaythani district since last summer. This survey is conducted not only by myself but all the zubzub member, Sengdeauang, and some village people including nai baan Dongkuwaay. First, I would explain briefly about what ‘study of resource-use dynamics’ is, and then move to our actual activity in the village.
IKEGUCHI, A.
Nagoya Sangyo University

2. Study of ‘resource-use’
▽Resource-use: How people collect, culture, harvest, cook, sell, eat, play natural resources
Our household questionnaire survey is designed to give basic information to study resource-use. Study of resource-use is to think about how people collect, culture&harvest, cook, sell, eat, play with natural resources. For example, when, where, and how people collect pakkanien, takatean, chinai, make rice, collect fish, selling in market, make pa hen, taste khaimodeang, play with pa kat, etc.

3. Study of ‘resource-use dynamics’
▽　How the resource-use change
Seasonal change, historical change
▽　Why the resource-use change
1) How people decide to change activity
2) What physical, socio-economic environment affect the decision making
When we say study of resource-use dynamics, it means we study how and why the resource-use change. How it changes, in rain season and dry season, when a person grow from child to adult, and when generation change. Why it changes, by people making decision, and physical, social, economic environment.

4. Why study resource-use dynamics?: Issues in Geography
▽　Reconsider evaluation of various natural resources and local technique
‘Land value’ to ‘use potential’
(Blaikie and Brookfield 1991)
▽　Develop new methods and concepts which explain how people-environment relationship change
Focus on complex process of household decision making
(Zimmerer 2000)
Now, why do we study resource-use dynamics. This survey is conducted by researchers from various academic field. So, I mention only some points in my field, geography. First, we want to reconsider evaluation of various natural resources and local technique. When we evaluate nature, we want to consider how much potential, or possibility of resource-use the land has, instead of how much market value the land has. Such evaluation started in 1960’s in western geography, but not many matured concepts were constructed. Second, we need to develop new methods and concepts which explain how people-environment relationship change. The text books of geography so far is too simple to explain land use change which actually occur, especially in diverse nature in east-southeast Asia. In order to develop proper method, we need to start analysis from small unit such as complex household decision making.

5. Household survey by zubzub in Dongkuwaay village
OK, let’s move to Dongkuwaay village. This is a aerophotograph of Dongkuai village in Xaithani district. There is a settlement of 261 households here. The village area includes paddy, forest, wetlands, rivers and ponds, which provides resource-use ground with the villagers. In rain season, people move to paddy across a river running north-south, and come back in dry season. The village has salt production area, which merges underwater in rain season.
No of household: 261
Population: 1319
Village area: 2807 ha (March 2005)

6. Questions Q1 Family composition Q2 Water use Q3 Farmland
Q4 Use of rice variety,
animal husbandry,
and wild resource use
Q5 Consumption
and purchase of rice
Q6 Cash income
Q7 Expenditure
We are conducting questionnaire survey by visiting all the households in Dongkuwaay village. These are major field of questions, and there are many questions under each field. This is prof. Nonaka, ikeguchi, kuangtong and other assistants.

7. Example of household resource-use
Wife: 46 Husband: 52
6 children (1 in Thailand)
Paddy 12 rai, Forest 1 rai
Start buying rice in April
From the questions, we found out variety of resource-use and its dynamics for each household. It varies by age and sex of household member, work, the land they have, gears they have and so on. For example, family A, consisted of Husband 52years-old, wife 46 year old, and 6 children, one of them work in Thailand and one in Vientiane temporarily. They have 12rai of paddy and 1 rai of forest, and use only manure from animal dung and rice husk for rice production. They lack of rice for family, so start buying in April. Besides wage work, they can buy rice by selling various animals such as bamboo shoots, frog, shrimp, fish in rain season and chinai in October, produce salt in dry season. By selling 200 chinai, they can buy 12 kg of rice.

8. Current status and plan
First survey : 8 ～ 12, 2005
Follow up survey: 2～3, 2006
Analysis and identification of household resource use pattern: 2006
Study of the activities of the selected households: 2006 ～

9. We do welcome participation and suggestion of villagers, researchers, and students in this study !!!
Kop chai lai lai