WCS Lao PDR

Protected Area Decree 2021 strives toward the goal of safeguarding nature and nurturing people

laopdrweb@wcs.org — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 05:25:00 GMT

From June 23 – July 2, the Department of Forestry convened a consultation meeting to revise the Protected Area (PA) Decree following previous technical consultations with national and international PA practitioners in Lao PDR. The consultation was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Prime Minister’s Office, with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) acting as technical partner. Based on the promulgation of the Forestry Law in 2019 and the country’s renewed sustainable and green growth priorities and international commitments, the draft Decree proposes changes for effective and modern protected area management. The changes will better define protected areas in terms of government jurisdiction, categories, zones and regional/international listings, and will lead to improved guidance around protected area management planning and alignment with international standards. The updated Decree will promote a landscape management approach for better planning and coordination with other sectors, local communities, and the private sector to achieve long-term sustainable development and management of biodiversity. The Decree has been revised to empower protected area institutions with improved authority and institutional setup and will clearly describe the rights and obligations of guardian villages. Lastly, the Decree will facilitate partnerships to sustainably finance the management of protected areas in Lao PDR. The revision of the PA Decree is currently supported under a partnership formed between the European Union (EU), French Agency for Development (AFD) and WCS in joint efforts to protect the country’s unique biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. The four-year “Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Lao PDR (ECILL)” Project utilizes an integrated landscape approach and green growth model, and supports improved regulatory frameworks to secure Lao PDR’s forests, biodiversity and assist rural communities in sustainably managing their natural resources. The project will establish co-management models where communities and local government gain increased voice and benefit, and private sector is engaged in sustainable business practice. The project covers three biodiversity-rich areas in Lao PDR, Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, Bolikhamxay Protected Area Landscapes and the Xe Champhone Ramsar Wetland Complex in Savannakhet. The Acting Director General of the Department of Forestry, Mr. Bounpone Sengthong, recognized the progress made over the past three decades by the government and the conservation community towards setting up the protected area system in Lao PDR since its establishment in 1993. Today, the number of protected areas in Lao PDR has increased from 18 to 24, of which five have been categorized as ‘National Park’ (IUCN Category II) for stricter protection. Lao PDR is home to numerous endemic, migratory and threatened species, some of which are extinct in other parts of the world, such as the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), clouded leopard (Pardofelis nebulosa), gaur (Bos gaurus), saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), gibbon (Hylobates spp., Nomascus spp.), Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) and the white winged duck (Cairina scutulata). However, Lao PDR’s biodiversity is currently under threat due to climate change, illegal wildlife trade, hunting and poaching coupled with high rates of deforestation causing fragmentation and loss of habitats. Strong regulatory frameworks such as the revised PA Decree is a step forward in safeguarding Lao PDR’s rich biodiverse landscapes for both people and nature.

Ms. Manoly Sisavanh is being selected to take part in the Robert W. Wilson’s Environmental Leadership Program

laopdrweb@wcs.org — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 04:01:00 GMT

ປາຄ່າ (Irrawaddy dolphin)

laopdrweb@wcs.org — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:10:00 GMT

ການສູນເສຍປາຄ່າອີກໂຕໜຶ່ງ ໃນວັນທີ 12 ມິຖຸນາ 2021 ໃນເຂດວັງປາຄ່າ ໂອໂຈຕຽວ ທີ່ເປັນເຂດວັງນໍ້າຂ້າມພົມແດນ ລະຫວ່າງ ສປປ ລາວ ແລະ ປະເທດກໍາປູເຈຍ ແມ່ນເປັນການຕາຍຂອງປາຄ່າໂຕທີສອງ ໃນຊ່ວງໄລຍະເວລາພຽງແຕ່ 2 ເດືອນ ພາຍໃນປີນີ້, ຊຶ່ງນີ້ກໍໝາຍວ່າ ສປປ ລາວ ຍັງເຫຼືອພຽງ ປ່າຄ່າໂຕດຽວເທົ່ານັ້ນທີ່ຍັງມີຊີວິດຢູ່ (ອີງຕາມການລາຍງານຈາກ ອົງການກອງທຶນອະນຸຮັກທໍາມະຊາດໂລກ ປີ 2016). ອົງການອະນຸລັກສັດປ່າ ປະຈໍາລາວ (WCS Lao PDR) ມີຄວາມເສຍໃຈຕໍ່ເຫດການອັນເສົ້າສະຫຼົດໃຈຄັ້ງນີ້ ແລະ ມີຄວາມກະຕືລືລົ້ນຢາກຊອກຮູ້ເຖິງສາເຫດການຕາຍຂອງປາຄ່າໂຕນີ້. ອີກບໍ່ດົນ ສປປ ລາວ ກໍອາດຈະບໍ່ມີປ່າຄ່າຫຼົງເຫຼືອຢູ່ໃນແມ່ນໍ້າຂອງ ເພາະປັດຈຸບັນຍັງເຫຼືອພຽງແຕ່ປາຄ່າໂຕດຽວໃນເຂດວັງປາຄ່າຂ້າມພົມແດນດັ່ງກ່າວ. ການຫຼຸດລົງຂອງປະຊາກອນປາຄ່າ ແມ່ນຜົນກະທົບທີ່ໜ້າວິຕົກຈາກກິດຈະກໍາຂອງມະນຸດ ທັ້ງທີ່ເຮົາສາມາດຫຼີກລ່ຽງຜົນກະທົບເຫຼົ່ານີ້ໄດ້. ພວກເຮົາຂໍໃຫ້ເຫດການດັ່ງກາວນີ້ ເປັນບົດຮຽນອັນສໍາຄັນເພື່ອນໍາມາຖອດຖອນເຂົ້າໃຊ້ໃນວຽກງານການອະນຸລັກສັດລ້ຽງລູກດ້ວຍນົມຂະໜາດໃຫຍ່ ຢູ່ ສປປ ລາວ. ມາດຕະການປົກປັກຮັກສາສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ ແລະ ຊີວະນາໆພັນ ຄວນໄດ້ຮັບການຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດ ແລະ ຕິດຕາມຢ່າງສະໝໍ່າສະເໝີ ເພື່ອຮັບປະກັນບໍ່ໃຫ້ມີການເພີ່ມທະວີການສູນເສຍຊະນິດພັນພືດ ແລະ ສັດ ອັນມີຄຸນຄ່າ ແລະ ເປັນເອກະລັກຂອງຊາດລາວ ໃນພາຍພາກໜ້າ. The loss of an Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) on June 12, 2021 in the Ochheuteal trans-boundary pool between southern Lao PDR and northern Cambodia is the second death within two months this year, which leaves only one dolphin remaining in Lao PDR (World Wildlife Fund 2016). Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR is sadden by this tragic news and eager to learn more regarding this individual’s cause of death. With one dolphin left in the trans-boundary pool, Lao PDR will soon be without one of the Mekong River’s most fascinating creatures. The decline of the Irrawaddy dolphin is yet another distressing, avoidable consequence of human activity. This should serve as major lesson learned in conservation of large mammals in Lao PDR. Effective environmental and biodiversity protection measures must be implemented and consistently followed to ensure that further losses of Laos' unique and valued flora and fauna are avoided. ຂໍ້ມູນອ້າງອີງ Reference: ລາຍງານຈາກ ອົງການກອງທຶນອະນຸຮັກທໍາມະຊາດໂລກ (World Wildlife Fund) 2016, Irrawaddy dolphins functionally extinct in Laos: WWF, World Wildlife Fund, viewed 21 June 2021, < https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?282570/Irrawaddy-dolphins-functionally-extinct-in-Laos-WWF>.