slash and burn - gold panning

the whole of the Mekong river banks had a haze. It seems it is like this in the dry season , when the locals cut and burn the forest to prepare for agriculture. Every year it is a different part and thus all of the forest gets systematically destroyed. The Govt is trying to stop this method of farming and to introduce the step culture with the wet method - but then any change takes a lot of time to happen.

Gold, gold , gold - In the river minerals get dissolved or get carried - in the Luang Prabang region these people try and sediment Gold from the waters. We saw groups, individuals, women & children in this occupation all day.