Project type: Saving the climate by preserving forest cover

Duration: 2009 to 2012

Project size: Two nationally protected areas in Laos

Once known as the "Land of a Million Elephants," Laos is now facing a crisis. The wild elephant population has fallen drastically, with less than 1,000 of the animals left in the country today. Deforestation has taken a significant toll on Laos, and the importance of designating nationally protected areas looms larger than ever – not only for the pachyderms, but for the local communities as well. That includes the Mlabri, a small, indigenous ethnic group living in the hill lands along the Laotian border with Thailand. The livelihood of the Mlabri is closely linked to the forest, and now the community is learning to protect its most precious resource.

A film by Manuela Kasper-Claridge /ss