(ENG SUB)Story of Loggers in Laos, Making a Living Out of Resources in the Harsh Jungle скачать в хорошем качестве

(ENG SUB)Story of Loggers in Laos, Making a Living Out of Resources in the Harsh Jungle

"One of the poorest nations in the world, Laos, located in the center of Indo-China's peninsula. Laos' jungle, that is designated as United Nations Ecological and Environmental Conservation Zone, emits 15% of oxygen in the world, being called 'The lungs of Asia'. This vast forest that takes up 70% of the land area is Laos' only resource along with the Mekong River. Let us introduce the loggers of Laos, who only rely on the compass in their minds as they roam the jungle, a place where no humans dare to go. To find wood material that is worth $5,000 a tree, which is used for high-quality furniture, these workers need to survive in the jungle for a week with limited food and tools, in the vast, unpredictable jungle. The jungle weather is unpredictable as well, and the wild animals of the jungle may jump at them at any time, but these dangers are what they have to face to do this work. People who set their livelihood in the rough jungle. Let's hear about their lives and their ways of life. ▶ ""The survival right given by the jungle, logging"" - Struggling with a big tree 2m in length and 20m tall Thakhek, Laos, that has 200km of jungle ground. This is the ongoing workplace for local loggers. However, in order to go logging, they need to ride a small boat and row for 30 minutes to cross. Before starting the work, they designate the place that the tree will fall and start hitting the tree with blades. This is because the tree or surrounding branches can crush a person as it falls. Mai khan, a tree 2m in length and 20m tall. It is used to make high-quality furniture and is worth over $4,000 per tree. However, it's hard finding even one of them, making workers search 3~4km of the radius. With the noisy sound of the engine saw, they begin logging the 'Mai khan' tree. The 2m tree is so sturdy that not even the sharp saw can cut it down easily. The flying sawdust makes it hard to open eyes well. The sawdust can cling onto the body and create scars, or it can go into eyes and scratch the retina. After a long struggle, the sturdy tree begins to budge, and the workers raise their voices. It's to signal the other workers that the most important and dangerous moment is about to happen. However, it can also crush a worker or get tangled with other branches to lead to a major accident... ▶ The endless rainfall! Loading the tree on top of muddy ground that sucks up even their feet! Every year from June to September, it's the rainy season in Laos. However, logging is a means of maintaining a living, so they cannot stop work just because of rain. As soon as it became afternoon, the skies let down a flood of rainfall. Due to the 2-hour rain, the ground of the jungle has become muddy. A 20t truck tries to enter the jungle, but they end up using a crane rope to drag the tree instead. But the 4t tree that soaked up rain doesn't come out of the jungle easily. Even the truck is unable withstand its weight and starts wobbling. Then the crane also shakes, making the ropes tangle. They have to unload the tree again and fix the crane first. And suddenly! The rainfall begins again. The workplace soon turned into a swamp. The workers quickly start loading on top of the truck. The wheels of the truck have already sunken into the ground, trapping them in the jungle. Will they be able to end the loading work safely? ▶ The battle of time and patience! A day of a charcoal maker The hardwood from the jungle gets processed in the sawmill and gets exported to Vietnam, Europe, USA, Korea, and Japan. The miscellaneous wood that is left gets sent to a charcoal company, and the wood that the loggers worked hard for does not go to waste. A traditional charcoal factory in Thakhek. Charcoal-making requires more time and patience than any other work! The most important thing is to maintain the temperature as the charcoal is being made. Fighting the heat that surpasses 158°F, it takes an average of 4 days to complete a piece of charcoal. Once the making process is over, it goes into a hot kiln, and the worker takes the charcoal out with his hands as water is sprayed on them. Charcoal that is made like this becomes a source of fuel to the Laos residents. ▶ Laos, the only nation in Asia where logging is permitted! An average of 100K~200K trees are cut down in Laos yearly. Logging is not permitted in most nations of Southeast Asia to preserve the natural environment, but with the permission from UN's health and environmental agency, it is permitted to log, process, and carry out wood in Laos. One condition is that they have to plant as many trees as they cut down. It's up to the loggers to put back the nature to its original state as much as they gain from it. With the pride of protecting the jungle, the hard work is rewarding for these loggers. For them, the jungle is their past, their present, and precious future, so they remain grateful of every day as they live their lives.