Лаос: Географиясы, экономикасы және климаттық өзгерістерге осалдығы

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Laos is a country in and the only landlocked nation in mainland Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand and west of Vietnam. It covers approximately 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam. About seventy percent of its geographic area is made up of mountain ranges, highlands, plateaux, and rivers cut through. Historically, its location has often made it a buffer state between more powerful neighboring states, particularly for the ancestral rulers of the modern day Burmese, Vietnamese and Thais, as well as a crossroads for trade and communication.

Most of the western border of Laos is demarcated by the Mekong river, which is an important artery for transportation. Elevations are typically above 500 metres with narrow river valleys and low agricultural potential. City rainfall stations have recorded that Savannakhét averages of rain annually; Vientiane receives about , and Louangphrabang (Luang Prabang) receives about
Laos is highly vulnerable to the effects of global climate change; nearly all provinces in Laos are at high risks from climate change.

Agriculture in Laos is the most important sector of the economy. Five million out of 23,680,000 hectares of Laos's total land area is suitable for cultivation, and seventeen percent of the land area, between 850,000 and 900,000 hectares, was cultivated as of the early 1990s. Rice is the main crop grown during the rainy season. Agricultural cultivation is possible during with varying weather on a small portion of land area apart from the Vientiane plain and the lowlands along the Mekong Valley. These cultivated areas are situated in the valley cuts by the rivers or the plateau regions of Xieng Khouang in the North and in the Bolovens in the south. Typically there are only two ways to cultivate: either the wet field paddy system practiced among the Lao Loum or lowland in Lao, or the swidden cultivation system practiced in the hills.

The overall population density was only eighteen persons per square kilometer, and in many districts the density was fewer than ten persons per square kilometer. Population density per cultivated hectare was considerably high ranging from 3.3 to 7.8 persons per hectare. Laos is increasingly suffering from environmental problems, with deforestation a particularly significant issue, as expanding commercial exploitation of the forests, plans for additional hydroelectric facilities, foreign demand for wild animals and nonwood forest products for food and traditional medicines, and a growing population all create increasing pressure. The United Nations Development Programme warns: "Protecting the environment and sustainable use of natural resources in Lao PDR is vital for poverty reduction and economic growth."