The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) from the central, provincial and district level, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Lao PDR join together in the Xe Champhone Wetlands in Savannakhet province in celebration of World Wetlands Day.The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) from the central, provincial and district level, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Lao PDR join together in the Xe Champhone Wetlands in Savannakhet province in celebration of World Wetlands Day.
Wetlands are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of unique plant and animal species. They are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, water quality improvement, and provide local communities with a source of livelihoods.
The 2024 theme of “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing” aims to spotlight how all aspects of human well-being - physical, mental and environmental - are tied to the health of the world's wetlands.
Despite their importance, wetlands are increasingly threatened by unsustainable fishing practices, fragmentation, and conversion through agricultural intensification.
World Wetlands Day was celebrated in Champhone District, Savannakhet province with students from three secondary schools (Houayxay, Kengkok and Taleo) through outreach activities including quizzes and games to educate the youth about the value of wetlands for humanity and the planet.
Mr Vongsavanh Viengmany, Governor of Champhone and Vice-Governors of Sonnabouly, Saibouly and Songkhone district, provincial counterparts, WCS Savannakhet team and students exchanged about the crucial role of wetlands for sustaining biodiversity, improving water quality and as a source of livelihoods.
In conjunction with World Wetlands Day 2024, a wetlands decree dissemination seminar took place on 30 and 31 January 2024 in Keoudom District, Vientiane Province to disseminate the decree to relevant sectors, report on the progress of wetlands profile in Lao PDR and consult on the Wetland Strategy Concept Note. Chaired by Mr. Chanthanet Bualapha, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, the seminar gathered Deputy Heads of offices, Deputy Heads of Departments of line ministries as well as experts from related sectors including WCS.
This Wetlands Decree acts as the reference for managing, monitoring, protecting, developing, and using the wetlands across the country to maintain a balanced ecosystem in line with the National Economic and Social Development Plan, Watershed Management Plan, Conventions and International Agreements that Lao PDR is a party to.
Through the interventions in Xe Champhone, the EU/AFD ECILL project will directly address three of the five strategies identified in Laos’ National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to meet the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), while also supporting Lao PDR’s commitment to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, through its diverse, integrated activities promoting wise-use of wetland resources and protection of wetland biodiversity and ecological functions.
The integrated Landscape Management of the Xe Champhone Wetlands supports local communities to assess, develop and promote livelihoods that also benefit biodiversity conservation.
The Xe Champhone Wetland located in Champhone District, Savannakhet Province represents the largest of Lao PDR’s two Ramsar sites (Wetland of International Importance) and is home to an abundance of aquatic biodiversity, as well as one of the world’s last remaining populations of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile, endangered turtle species, and wetland birds.
Through the Savannakhet Landscape Program funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Union (EU) under the Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Lao PDR Project (ECILL), WCS is supporting local authorities, partners and communities to develop land and resource-use plans that improve local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.
“Through the community-led initiatives, the program provides a major contribution to the preservation of these critical national assets by allowing the communities in and around the wetlands to adapt their approaches to climate change”, said Mr Vongsavanh Viengmany, Governor of Champhone District. He also stressed the importance of educating the youth about the need to preserve and restore wetlands. “I am delighted to see the enthusiasm from the students to reflect and think about a sustainable future for their land.”
Phacksouliya Phommatheth, WCS Savannakhet Program Coordinator added “we all have a role to play in the conservation of wetlands and we should continue working together for clean, productive wetlands that sustain wildlife and local communities. Improved planning and resource management is needed for the long-term benefits of both people and wildlife.”
The World Wetlands Day event was attended by over 220 people from the government of Lao PDR at national and subnational levels, offices at provincial level: Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Resources and Environment, Education and Sports, Information, Culture and Tourism, Women’s Union, Lao Youth Union, Foreign Affairs, teachers and students.