Land security & local management of natural resources are two of the most critical requirements of healthy rural villages. Without the security to use, manage and profit from the land, people lose a sense of stewardship and connectedness, which may lead to a breakdown of community as well the destruction and sell-off of natural resources. In both Laos and Cambodia, VFI works with remote, usual ethnic minority, communities and focuses on local leadership issues as well as a range of specific activities such as boundary mapping, land use planning, and land rights awareness-raising. This is a complex and important issue, and involves the effort to protect and manage forest and water resources, which local people rely upon for daily food and livelihood needs.