VIENTIANE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, has launched a project to restore forests and empower local communities as key conservation actors amid rising forest degradation.
The signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding for the project was held in Lao capital Vientiane on Thursday. Funded by the European Union, the project aims to involve local communities directly in managing protected forests, safeguarding biodiversity, and preserving forest ecosystems, according to the Vientiane Mai newspaper.
The 2018 National Forest Survey shows that forest cover has declined by an average of 0.36 percent per year, driven largely by agricultural expansion, development projects, unsustainable logging, shifting cultivation, and the harvesting of non-timber forest products.
Scheduled for 2025-2028, the project will operate in the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, focusing on building strong community networks for the sustainable conservation of Lao forests.
The Lao government has prioritized the sustainable management of forest resources, setting a target to restore forest cover to 70 percent of the country's land. Its strategy emphasizes a balance between conservation and local livelihoods, promoting peaceful coexistence between people and forests. ■