It is planned to assess forest cover and land use from 2002 to 2012, which will reveal the current change of land use throughout the country. But it can be assumed that the area of dry dipterocarp forest will have been reduced due to the active conversion of this land category into commercial tree plantations (eucalyptus, acacia, rubber, etc.) and agricultural crop production (sugar cane, cassava, etc.), which is attributable to liberalized economic investment.
Currently there is no project for land degradation assessment in drylands in Lao PDR, but it is urgently needed.