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Nakai-Nam Theun: 3

Recently, another twist has developed in the tale: the Asian economic crisis has undermined the financial security of the hydropower project. In particular, doubts have been raised regarding the ability of Thailand, theoretically the sole recipient of Nam Theun 2's power, to afford the electricity generated by the dam. This has resulted in further delays while the World Bank deliberates over its approval of the project. While this uncertainty continues, the prospects for sustained conservation in Nakai-Nam Theun are clouded. This is partly because the project has unwittingly discouraged bilateral conservation donors and delayed the 'no dam scenario' conservation process. Meanwhile, an eight-month phase of further surveys and management activities commenced in May 1998, conducted under the auspices of the Lao government, the World Bank, IUCN and WCS, with the aim of initiating some of the measures recommended in the 1997 management plan.

Hydropower development aside, pressures imposed by logging interests, road development, very high human population growth and intense hunting also loom menacingly over the future of Nakai-Nam Theun and its inhabitants (2,15). Another particularly damaging and intractable problem is the incursion of Vietnamese poachers and wildlife salesmen across the remote international border (2,5,28). Their principal intention is to harvest or purchase species used in traditional medicine, a trade which is stripping the border area (and indeed much of South-East Asia) of turtles and pangolins, and rapidly reducing populations of many other species of global conservation importance such as Crested Argus and Douc Langur. Recently, the Vietnamese and Lao governments have taken commendable steps to solve this problem by convening jointly to discuss biodiversity conservation issues along the shared border (28), but as yet there has been insufficient direct action to prevent poaching and trading of wildlife. To be successful, a conservation strategy for the area must effectively address each of these problems in turn.

As Laos gradually opens its borders, the prospect of birders visiting the country improves. In fact, there has been some discussion of developing Nakai-Nam Theun as a destination for 'eco-tourists' (2). Any naturalist overcoming the troublesome logictics of visiting this wonderful and unique area will be handsomely rewarded – that is, of course, if the magnificent forests of the watershed can be preserved.

Acknowledgements
Our field surveys would not have been possible without the cooperation of CPAWM and its staff (especially Chantaviphone Inthavong, Venevongphet, Xanxai Souliyakane, Sivannavong Sawathvong and Boonhom Sounthala), the Science, Technology and Environment Organisation (STENO) of the Lao Prime Minister's Office (especially Noulin Sinbandith and Madame Monemany Nhoybouakong) and IUCN, especially the Lao country representative, Stuart Chape. Locally, we have received generous assistance from the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices of Khammouane and Bolikhamxay Provinces. Many others made valuable contributions to fieldwork, report writing, early drafts of this manuscript and our dubious sanity in general, especially Will Duckworth, Tom Evans, Jim Jarvie, Khamkhoun Khounboline, Sinaun Phommachak, Khounmee Salivong, Rob Timmins, Robert Tizard, Chantavi Vongkhamheng and Dick Watling.

References

1. Timmins, R.J. and Khounboline, K. (1996) A preliminary wildlife and habitat survey of Hin Namno National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Khammouane Province, Laos. Vientiane: Wildlife Conservation Society.
2. IUCN (1997) Environmental and social action plan for the Nakai-Nam Theun catchment and corridor areas. Vientiane: IUCN.
3. Evans, T. D. and Timmins, R. (1998) Records of birds from Laos during January-July 1994. Forktail 13: 69-96.
4. Tizard, R. J. (1996) A preliminary wildlife and habitat survey of the proposed northern extension to the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area and the adjacent Nam Gnouang area, Bolikhamsai Province, Laos. Vientiane: Wildlife Conservation Society.
5. Tobias, J. (1997) Environmental and social action plan for the Nakai-Nam Theun catchment and corridor areas: report of the wildlife survey. Vientiane: Wildlife Conservation Society.
6. Collar, N. J., Crosby, M. J. and Stattersfield, A. J. (1994) Birds to watch 2: the world list of threatened birds. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International.
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8. Duckworth, J. W., Timmins, R. J. and Evans, T. D. (1998) The conservation status of the River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii in southern Laos. Biological Conservation 84: 215-222.
9. IUCN (1996) The 1996 IUCN Red List of threatened animals. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
10. Timmins, R. J. and Duckworth, J. W. (in prep.) The status and conservation of the Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus in Laos.
11. Duckworth, J. W. (in press) A survey of large mammals in the central Annamite mountains of Laos. Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde.
12. Duckworth, J. W. (1997) Small carnivores in Laos: a status review with notes on ecology, behaviour and conservation. Small Carnivore Conservation 16: 1-21.
13. Dung, V. V., Giao, P. M., Chinh, N. N., Tuoc, D. and MacKinnon, J. (1993) A new species of living bovid from Vietnam. Nature 363: 443-445.
14. Schaller, G. and Rabinowitz, A. (1994) The saola or spindlehorn bovid Pseudoryx nghetinhensis in Laos. Oryx 29: 107-114.
15. Timmins, R. J. and Evans, T. D. (1996) A wildlife and habitat survey of the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Khammouane and Bolikhamsai Provinces, Laos. Vientiane: Wildlife Conservation Society.
16. Robichaud, W. G. (1998) Physical and behavioural description of a captive Saola, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis. Journal of Mammalogy 79: 394-405.
17. Tuoc, D., Dung, V. V., Dawson, S., Arctander, P. and MacKinnon, J. (1994) Introduction of a new large mammal species in Vietnam. Science and Technology News. Hanoi: Forest Inventory and Planning Institute, Ministry of Forestry (in Vietnamese).
18. Schaller, G. and Vrba, E. S. (1996) Description of the Giant Muntjac Megamuntiacus vuquangensis in Lao. Journal of Mammalogy 77: 675-683.
19. Timmins, R. J., Evans, T. D., Khounboline, K. and Sisomphone, C. (1998) Status and conservation of the giant muntjac Megamuntiacus vuquangensis, and notes on other muntjac species in Laos. Oryx 32: 59-67.
20. Giao, P., Tuoc, D., Dung, V., Wikramanayake, E., Amato, G., Arctander, P. and MacKinnon, J. (1998) Description of Muntiacus truongsonensis, a new species of muntjac (Artiodactyla: Muntiacidae) from central Vietnam, and implications for conservation. Animal Conservation 1: 61-68.
21. Groves, C. P., Schaller, G. B., Amato, G. and Khounboline, K. (1997) Rediscovery of the wild pig Sus bucculentus. Nature 386: 335.
22. Groombridge, B. (1994) IUCN Red List of threatened animals. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN.
23. Evans, T. and Timmins, R. (1995) News from Lao. Oryx 29: 3-4.
24. Timmins, R. J. (1996) Another muntjac materialises: more large mammal finds in Laos. BBC Wildlife Magazine 14: 3.
25. Pitches, A. (1997) Around the Orient. OBC Bull. 26:15-22.
26. Rabinowitz, A (1997) Lost world of the Annamites. Natural History Magazine 4: 14-18.
27. Berkmüller, K., Southammakoth, S. and Vongphet, V. (1995) Protected area system planning and management in Laos: status report to mid-1995. Vientiane: Lao-Swedish Forestry Cooperation.
28. Compton, J., Khounboline, K. and Salivong, K. (1998) Vanishing point. Hanoi and Vientiane: WWF.
29. Inskipp, I., Lindsey, N and Duckworth, W. (1996) An annotated checklist of the birds of the Oriental region. Bedfordshire, UK: Oriental Bird Club.

Appendix: Birds of conservation significance recorded in the Nakai-Nam Theun area (threat categories according to Collar (6) taxonomy and nomenclature following Inskipp, et al.(29))

Threatened species; Greater Spotted Eagle, Aquila clanga; Siamese Fireback, Lophura diardi; White-winged Duck, Cairina scutulata; Crested Argus, Rheinardia ocellata; Wood Snipe, Gallinago nemoricola; Blyth's Kingfisher, Alcedo hercules; Rufous-necked Hornbill, Aceros nipalensis; Red-collared WoodpeckerPicus rabieri; Grey-sided Thrush, Turdus feae; Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Jabouilleia danjoui; Beautiful Nuthatch, Sitta formosa; Near-threatened species; Von Schrenk's Bittern, Ixobrychus eurhythmus; Jerdon's Baza, Aviceda jerdoni; Lesser Fish Eagle, Ichthyophaga humilis; Pied Falconet, Microhierax leucopterus; Grey-headed Lapwing, Vanellus cinereus; Yellow-vented Pigeon, Treron seimundi; White-bellied Pigeon, Treron sieboldi; Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo, Carpococcyx renauldi; Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Bubo nipalensis; Tawny Fish Owl, Ketupa flavipes; Brown Hornbill, Anorrhinus tickelli; Blue-rumped Pitta, Pitta soror; Swinhoe's Minivet, Pericrocotus cantonensis; Green Cochoa, Cochoa viridis; Jerdon's Bushchat, Saxicola jerdoni; Grey Laughingthrush, Garrulax maesi; Red-tailed Laughingthrush Garrulax milnei; Spotted Wren Babbler, Spelaeornis formosus; Spectacled Fulvetta, Alcippe ruficapilla; Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Alcippe rufogularis; Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Paradoxornis atrosuperciliaris; Black-breasted Thrush, Turdus dissimilis; Yellow-vented Warbler, Phylloscopus cantator; Fujian Niltava, Niltava davidi; Japanese Paradise-flycatcherTerpsiphone atrocaudata; White-winged Magpie, Urocissa whiteheadi; Indochinese Green Magpie, Cissa hypoleuca.