Nam Ou

[4] The northern portion of the river flows through Phou Den Din National Protected Area (NPA) which is home to Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, white-cheeked gibbons and large antlered muntjac – all endangered species.

[3] The river also provides a habitat to riverine birds, otters, and reptiles, with many categorized as endangered by the IUCN Red List.

This includes collecting resources from the river and surrounding forests for income, food, and spiritual practices.

[4] The Phonsaly province of Laos is home to three main ethnic groups: the Khmu, who account for 22% of the population; the Songsiri (18%); and the Akha (27%).

Resettlement sites often include modernized towns with nearby amenities like roads, bridges, temples, trading markets, health centers and schools.

Some villagers have trouble readjusting to new locations because they lose access to fish, river-bank gardens, and edible river vegetation.