Context
Lao PDR still has one of the highest rates of forest cover in Southeast Asia and is rich in natural resources like water and minerals. More than 70 per cent of the population lives near the forest and draws about 20 per cent of its livelihood from its use. Since the 1960s, forests have diminished dramatically in recent decades mainly through the expansion of agriculture, shifting cultivation, infrastructure development and timber exploitation.
This results in rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, biodiversity loss and a decline in water and soil protection. The most vulnerable groups are the poorest sections of Lao society, especially women and ethnic minorities who depend on intact forests for their livelihoods.
Objective
Lao PDR succeeds in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, promoting sustainable forest management, and fostering the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
Approach
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a key strategy for the Lao Government to substantially reduce GHG emissions.
The project is strengthening the enabling environment for REDD+ implementation by:
enhancing the availability of financing to transform forest management
revising and improving the legal and regulatory framework for forestry
improving the enforcement of the new regulatory framework (governance).
Supporting deforestation-free agriculture and agroforestry by:
enhancing productivity of village agriculture
increasing farmers’ integration into agricultural value chains
improving access to finance and private sector participation for improved land management to reduce pressure on forests.
Supporting the implementation of sustainable forest management and forest landscape restoration on over 1.5 million hectares of degraded land.