Mission in Progress
Exploratory mission to Laos: departure date the 20th of March 2010 for 10 days, to decide on the possibility of a scientific mission and to shoot the film’s first images.
LAOS 2010
REPORT ON THE PRELIMINARY MISSION AND STUDY PROJECT OF THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE FOREST CANOPIES.
by F.Hallé
Participants : Dany CLEYET-MARREL, pilot and designer (DCM)
Gilles EBERSOLT, architect and designer (GE)
Francis HALLÉ, botanist (FH)
Sourichanh INTHASOROT, accompanying guide.
21st March : arrival at Vientiane, on flight from Bangkok. Met by M.Frank Polidano, expert in scientific coordination in the Prime Minister’s cabinet.
22nd March : meeting with M.Somphone Phanousith, the Prime Minister’s assistant for scientific questions, with M.Sourichanh Inthasorot, our guide in the field, and with M.Houmphanh Rattanavong, President of the Association for the Biodiversity of Laos. From the discussions (in french) it becomes clear that our project of study of the forest canopies will be in the « Southern Provinces »which are designated as the country’s last remaining primary rainforests.
23rd March : visit to the Ministry of Forests : the forest of Xe Pian is put forward as a possible site of interest. Location of a four-by-four and we procure maps of the « Southern Provinces», of Champassak and Attopeu.
24th March : journey by road from Vientiane to Paksé (800 km).
25th March : journey by road from Paksé to Attopeu, passing by the plateau of Bolovens (200 km). Meeting with the Governer of the province of Attopeu ; friendly meeting, the Governer reassures us concerning the possibility of missiles dating from the war with the USA.
26th March : meeting with the head of forestry services in the province of Attopeu, he gives us a guide and a map of the forest of Dong Amphanh NBCA. Visit of the forest reserve of Dong Amphanh, which we cross from west to east, to the border with Vietnam : this beautiful, immense forest gives the impression of being intact, yet its situation on very steep slopes means drawing up an inventory of its biodiversity would be difficult. What’s more, the “intact” character of the forest might not last long (new roads, plantations, mine works) . We locate a possible site “le Gué” to set up our base camp.
27th March : visit to building site of the dam Xe Caman, to the west of Dong Amphanh NBCA. Access to the dam itself is forbidden but we went to the zone which is to be flooded, where intensive deforestation is presently underway.
28th March: route from Attopeu to the protected zone of Xe Pian (100 km), in the province of Champassak. In vain we tried to reach the village of Ban Taong, situated in the forest of Xe Pian.
29th March : we reach Ban Taong. A local guide leads us to a rocky outpost where we have a view to the south, of the forest of Xe Pian, right up to the border with Cambodia. Compared to Dong Amphanh the region is less mountainous, but as a consequence, the forest is exploited on a large scale and there are frequent fires in the north ; in the south, especially during the rainy season,the problem is the inaccessability by road. Return to Paksé in the evening and to Vientiane by the night bus (FH).
30th March : GE and DCM visit the site of the dam at Nam Theun 2 and assess the forest of Nakaï.
At Vientiane, FH meets Mr Jérôme Millet, project coordinater for Sud Expert Plantes in Asia, Mr Philippe Devaud, specialist in cooperation at the French Embassy, and Mrs Somsanith Bouamanivong, botanist at l’Herbier National.
31st March : rendez-vous with Mr Somphone Phanousith, to whom we make a brief report on our preliminary mission : we commit ourselves to making a written report for her aswell as a study project of the forest canopies. Meeting with Mr Thomas Calame, of the Société d’Histoire Naturelle Alcide d’Orbigny, who is currently working in Laos.
Leave Vientiane on flight to Bangkok.
IMPORTANT FIGURES ENCOUNTERED
Mr. Somphone PHANOUSIT,
- Permanent Secretary of the National Council of Sciences
- General Secretary of the Laos Union of Sciences
- Assistant Adviser to the Prime Minister
Mr. Houmphanh RATTANAVONG,
- Member of the National Council of Sciences
- President de the Association for Biodiversity.
Prof. Francois POLIDANO,
- Principle Expert in Coordination at the National Council of Sciences and at the National Scientific and Engineering Union.
Mr. Sourichanh INTHASOROT,
- from the cabinet of the Prime Minister of Laos.
Dr. Jérôme MILLET,
- Coordinater Asia of« Sud Expert Plantes », project of the Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes
Mr. Philippe DEVAUD,
- Cooperation Specialist at the French Embassy in Laos.
Mr. Thomas CALAME,
- Naturalist and animal photographer at the Société d’Histoire Naturelle Alcide d’Orbigny.
Mme Somsanith BOUAMANIVONG,
- Botanist, Herbier National of Laos.
STUDY PROJECT OF THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE FOREST CANOPIES OF LAOS
by F. Hallé
The idea is not to propose a short-lived, limited project, but a wider-reaching one which will carry on for five years. The peculiar diversity of tropical rainforests and the fact that Laos sprawls over so much latitude (from 14° to 22° North), would mean exploring the canopies of several sites from North to South, for our work to be properly representative of the country’s biodiversity. Needless to say, the primary forests of the tropical latitudes, and especially the forest canopies, provide the essentials of biological diversity.
Any consequences which help contribute to the development of biodiversity merit to have our special attention : education and popularisation, any measures favorising the respect of primary rainforests, cultivation of useful plants, identification of marketable products, scientific publications of an international standard, ecotourism with the Icos, the Forest Canopy Balloon and forest trails.
Before entering into more details of the project, here is a list of the apparatus specially realised by Gilles EBERSOLT and Dany CLEYET-MARREL of the association, ”Opération Canopée”, to explore the tropial rainforest canopies:
- Forest Canopy Raft and Sledge, carried by a dirigible (picture)
- Forest Canopy Balloon (picture)
- Cineballoon (picture)
- Treesurfer and its protective dome (picture)
- Icos (picture)
The first five machines ”fly”; only the Icos is stationary, fixed to the tops of the tallest trees.
Apart from the six devices, complementary equipment usually associated with tree loppers ( rope, ascenders, carabiners,etc); the big-shot , used to launch lines into trees, and metal cables to form tyrolean crossings,etc.
Our preliminary mission led us to the forest of Dong Amphanh (province of Attopeu), as a site of interest for the exploration of the canopies. Use of the flying machines would get around the problem of very steep slopes which make access to the area difficult. On the positive side, the relative inaccessability of the area is a guarantee of an intact biological diversity. At 15° North, in one of the last remaining tropical rainforests of Asia, we can expect to find exceptional plants and animals, samples of which may never have been found before.
As a guideline, the operation would follow the ten following steps:
- obtaining of budget (see above: Budget)
- shipment of material in three containers to the port of Danang (Vietnam), then by road to Dong Amphanh.
- Preparatory mission for construction by locals of a camp base, for 20 people, on the site ” Le Gué” : common room,taking-off ground, laboratory, dispensary, dormitories, toilets, supply area, generator, tumble dryers and fridges ; the constructions, in wood, are to be of a temporary nature.
- launching of invitations to tender, in Laos and in the international scientific press: selection of offers to ensure project’s coherence and constitution of research teams.
- Installation of equipment in several catchment areas of the forest of Dong Amphanh, installation of layons, Icos and tyrolien cords.
- Recruitment of locals to work at base camp.
- Arrival of research groups; base camp to function for a period of 2 months, rotation of research groups every 3 weeks.
- Treatment of samples which will be left to the Herbier National of Laos ; certain specimens to be expediated to experts abroad.
- Writing and diffusion of results of each research team implicated in the project.
- Exhibition at Vientiane on biological diversity of the canopy and results of first leg of project. The accent will be on the economic development of the biodiversity of Laos in its own country.
The next step will be the preparation of a second study of the forest canopy, probably in another province; the cost of which will be distinctly inferior to the first project seeing as the same equipment, stocked on site, can be used again.
The following budget is based on the exploratory mission to the Masoala peninsula (2001) in the east of Madagasgar; to be revised during the next mission of exploration.
BUDGET
- Restoration of dirigible and Forest Canopy Raft.
- Purchase of complementary material : ropes,carabiners, etc.
- Salary for a manager from Laos and an interpreter.
- Second exploratory mission.
- Cost of sending material from Marseille to Laos.
- Cost of building and equipping base camp ; a salary for the employees.
- Development of innovative structures for studying the forest on steep slopes.
- Fees for puchasing fluids : fuel, propane, butane, helium, etc.
- Location fees of 2 4×4 vehicules and a small car/motorbike.
- Fees for reception of local figure heads.
- Salaries for members of « Forest Canopy Raft »team, including a doctor.
- Travel expenses and per-diem rates for the scientists of Laos working on the project.
- Purchase of books and software for identifying flora and fauna.
- Purchase of miscellaneous material: scientific, graphic, computing, photographical, etc.
- Purchase of large-scale maps and high definition aerial images.
- Insurances, possible customs fees.
- Financial reserves in case of unforeseen overheads.
TOTAL……………………………………………………… one million Euros
Montpellier, 15th April 2010
ADRESSEES
In Laos :
Mr. Somphone Phanousith, Prime Minister’s Cabinet
Mr. François Polidano, Prime Minister’s Cabinet
Mr. Philippe Devaud, Ambassador of France
In France :
Mr. Nicolas Moulin, Terra Botanica
Mr. François Pauly, Jardiland
Mr. Jérôme Lorie, Jardiland
Assemblée nationale OPCST
Sénat OPCST
