The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) features in the group of least developed countries (LDCs), with a UNDP Global Human Development Index (HDI) rank of 131 (out of 177 countries) (UN Lao PDR 2009). Significant improvements are primarily impeded by geographic and demographic conditions: 70% of the country is mountainous and thickly forested (Mongabay 2009), with highly dispersed and ethnically diverse population (82.9% of approximately 5.6 million) (Messerli et al. 2008) living in rural and remote areas lacking access to basic social infrastructure, communication, transport links, and professional opportunities, and where poverty tends to be more acute (Government of Lao PDR/UN Country Team 2006).