Coupling remotely sensed data with local perspectives to better understand small-scale tropical forest changes

Abstract Forests are essential for climate, biodiversity, and society. Consequently, conserving or increasing forest cover is the focus of many national and international policies. Yet implementing such policies locally remains a massive challenge, partly due to diverging perceptions of small-scale forest cover changes and their effects on livelihoods. In this study, we couple remotely sensed forest cover changes at the village level with local perceptions of land-use changes between 2010 and 2020 and their drivers. Our focus is on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) which maintains some of the highest forest cover in Southeast Asia. We conducted focus group discussions and walking interviews with village committees in 27 villages in the province of Vientiane and Vientiane capital. We find that remote sensing data and the perception of village committees align on negative forest cover trends at small scales. The village committees expressed that current economic, policy, and socio-economic drivers are more likely to lead to the maintenance or expansion of agricultural areas rather than to the conservation of forests. As future developments, the village committees prioritize infrastructure and socio-economic development over forest conservation. Our findings highlight the importance of a context-specific understanding of forest cover changes. More just and effective forest policies can be formulated by coupling local perspectives with remote sensing in landscape planning. Ultimately, this study illustrates that forest cover changes are complex, contentious, and require participatory and adaptive policy responses that reflect this reality.