IUCN - IUCN Lao PDR Key Projects

IUCN Lao PDR Key Projects

Current Projects

IUCN Lao PDR projects centre around its four main progarmme themes, as identified in its 2007-2011 Strategic Plan, these include Protected Areas, Governance, Agrobiodiversity, and Nam: Water, Watersheds, Wetlands.

IUCN Lao PDR projects centre around its four main progarmme themes:

Protected Areas

Agrobiodiversity

Nam: water, wetlands and watersheds

The IUCN Lao PDR Country Programme Agreement is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The Country Programme Agreement (CPA) allows the IUCN Lao PDR country office to foster relationships with key partners, develop programme areas and respond to emerging regional, national and local issues. The four priority areas of the programme agreement under which the IUCN Lao PDR country office works are:

Further the understanding of key partners on the links between conservation and poverty reduction;
Improve communication, planning and collaboration with members and partners, through cross-sectoral environment-related work;
Continue improving IUCN role as an information hub on environment issues for relevant stakeholders;
Plan and respond to emerging issues, with support from the IUCN global network

Some of the current projects currently implemented by IUCN Lao as part of the CPA programme include involvement in supporting curriculum development at the National University of Lao, creation of a National Herbarium, collaboration on green business strategies with local small businesses under IUCN’s Business and Biodiversity Programme and relationship building with new partners, such as the National Assembly and mass media institutions.

A little girl selling mushrooms in the Luang Nam Tha morning market

A little girl selling mushrooms in the Luang Nam Tha morning market

Photo: IUCN Lao

Protected Areas

IUCN Lao PDR currently has two initiatives supporting the establishment and improvement of protected areas within Lao PDR.

The Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI) is a regional programme supported by the Asian Development Bank that is being implemented in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries with the aim of providing functional linkages between protected areas to conserve habitat, species and ecosystem services as sustainable livelihood resources for local populations. BCI is a collaborative project between the Government of Lao PDR, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and IUCN. The Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) is the primary implementation body with technical and facilitation support from WWF and IUCN.

IUCN Lao has also been contributing to the implementation of the Forestry Strategy to the Year 2020 by assisting the Government of Lao with a review of National Protected Areas (NPAs). IUCN Lao has been working with the Department of Forestry to develop a locally-implemented methodology for categorizing the country’s national protected areas in line with the IUCN categories for Protected Areas. The intent is that the methodology will then be implemented at all of the country’s NPAs by local managers at each protected area.

Governance

IUCN Lao PDR works closely with the Government of Lao in the area of improved governance.

IUCN Lao has been helping the Government of Lao to strengthen the implementation of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at a national level. In 2006 IUCN provided an initial training for Customs officials on CITES implementation and in 2007 IUCN supported and prepared a Lao delegation to attend the CITES CoP 14 . Subsequently, an SDC funded project has allowed IUCN to coordinated high level workshops, study tours and trainings for national authorities to improve their ability to implement the convention.

IUCN is also working to support the development of the newly developing class of national Non-Profit Associations (NPAs). IUCN will provide a donor relations workshops to assist Lao NPAs, particularly environmentally focused NPAs in, proposal development, grant writing and donor relations.

Agrobiodiversity

IUCN Lao plays an active role in supporting Agrobiodiversity projects within Lao PDR to contirbute to an improved economic, social and environmental state.

The Livelihoods and Landscapes (LLS) project supports IUCN Lao to work closely with the Government of Lao and local Lao communities to build knowledge and capacity in the management of natural resources. Currently there are three main components that are being implemented as part of the LLS project, they are:

Student Research Projects –IUCN has been working closely with the National University of Lao Faculty of Forestry to better develop teaching methodology for natural resource related course work. IUCN Lao has also supported the involvement of final year students in IUCN Lao’s project work to contribute to the research for there final year theses. In 2008, four students participated in field studies for the Biodiversity Conservation Corridors project.
Wetland Economic Valuation and Management Planning – IUCN is currently conducting an economic valuation of the Kiat Ngong Wetland in Champassak Province in order to assist decisionmakers to make educated development decisions in that area. IUCN has also conducted a resource inventory and fishery conservation planning with local Government and local villagers to encourage an effective co-management arrangement of the wetland for long-term use.
Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Marketing and Management Planning – Also in Champassak Province, IUCN Lao has been conducting participatory resource inventories and sustainable management planning of NTFP harvesting with local villages and district forestry officials. This compliments other work IUCN has done providing trainings in the marketing and processing of NTFPs through previous projects.

IUCN Lao has also been conducting a Biodiversity Assessment in five districts in Savannakhet and Salvan Provinces. These assessments collate economic, social and environmental data on the region to assist with determining how a proposed timber plantation may affect the region and how the plantation can reduce potential impacts.

Nam: water, wetlands and watersheds

Water plays an important role in the lives of the Lao people. The Government of Lao has been proactive in the improved management and protection of water, watersheds and wetlands, and have been working closely with IUCN Lao to improve water management at a local, regional and international level.

IUCN Lao has been actively working with the Government of Lao in the management and protection of water, watersheds and wetlands. IUCN has been providing support to the Government of Lao for accession to the Ramsar Convention by providing detailed cost benefit analyses and assisting with the preparation of required accession documentation. Through the Landscapes and Livelihoods Initiative and in the future with support from the UNDP TRAC, IUCN Lao has been building the capacity of local institutions to conduct economic valuation of wetlands.

IUCN Lao is also involved in implementing the regional Mekong Water Dialogue initiative. This initiative will develop a national water network from the multiple sectors that impact and are impacted by water decisions in Lao. This network will hold regular national dialogues which will feed up to and subsequently respond to regional dialogues in the Mekong region.