Bounthanom Bouahom

Bounthanom Bouahom

Research Area: Improved/alternate livelihood options
Nationality: Laotian
Time Frame: May 2014 – April 2015

 

Bounthanom works for the Agriculture and Forestry Policy Research Center (AFPRC) under the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) in Lao PDR. NAFRI is a key national partner of both IWMI (IWMI’s Southeast Asia Office is based on the NAFRI Campus) and the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). Bounthanom initially worked with the MK1 project of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) on Optimizing reservoir management for livelihoods, led by IWMI, and was the project coordinator for NAFRI activities. She has a Msc in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. Her work with this program concentrates on improved or alternate livelihood options for farmers, fishermen and riparian communities affected by the Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project.

I believe that by working with IWMI through this program, I will gain more knowledge to enhance my skills particularly in relation to analytical techniques that can contribute to my future research.

 


Comments on completion:

I want to thank IWMI for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the “Stockholm Visiting Scientists program (ISVS)” which is IWMI’s Capacity Strengthening Program for National Researchers. I learned many interesting things from this program. I learnt how to develop the research design as well as the tools and methodology for doing research particularly in the feasibility study and got a better understanding of potential to improve local livelihood. In addition, I improved the ways of thinking more logically and the more systematic ways for doing research. Overall of the ISVS program is excellent program for capacity strengthening for researchers. In the future, it would be great if the program could create an opportunity for all fellows from different field studies to come together and get to know each other to share and exchange ideas together.
Discussion with a local villager during the field survey.
Discussion with a local villager during the field survey.