The Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR hosted the ‘Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Lao PDR’ (ECILL) project Steering Committee meeting co-chaired by Dr. Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Deputy Director General of the Department of Forestry, Ms. Veerle Smet, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Lao PDR, Mr. François-Xavier Duporge, Country Director of the Agence Française de Développement in Lao PDR and Dr. Santi Xaypanya, WCS Laos Country Director.
The meeting aimed to update and review the project implementation progress and plans in the three landscapes: the Nam Et–Phou Louey National Park, Phou Sithone Endangered Species Conservation Area, and Nam Kading National Protected Area in Bolikhamxay province, and the Xe Champhone Ramsar Wetlands Complex in Savannakhet province.
“I would like to thank the EU and AFD donors for their continued support in biodiversity protection in Lao PDR. I also take this opportunity to congratulate WCS and colleagues for successfully implementing the activities that will be pursued until the end of the project. We have made a lot of progress in the implementation of the ECILL project, which has provided major support to the Government of Lao PDR, including new policies and regulations”, expressed Dr. Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Deputy Director General of the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
“The ECILL Project is part of a broader EU program ‘Landscapes for Our Future’ which supports 22 projects across 19 countries with solutions to context-specific land-use challenges around food and nutrition security, climate change, and land/forest biodiversity. Great achievements have been made in Lao PDR, congratulations to the Government and WCS for the successful outcomes including policy achievements such as the revision of the CITES Decree, said Ms. Veerle Smet, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Lao PDR.
Engagement with the private sector, particularly in the hydropower, agriculture and linear infrastructure sectors, is an important component to ensure that potential environmental impacts are effectively managed and mitigated. However, challenges remain to achieve No-Net-Loss for biodiversity through the mitigation hierarchy, a key approach to harmonizing conservation and development.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. François-Xavier Duporge, Country Director of the AFD in Lao PDR underlined the good results in implementing the activities, including advanced empowerment of local communities and strengthening of national environmental policies. “The implementation of the Protected Areas Roadmap in Year 5 will be key to ensuring sustainable management, governance, and financing of the Protected Areas. Still, some challenges remain, such as engagement with the private sector and deforestation”, Mr. François -Xavier added.
After four years of implementation, the ECILL project was scheduled to end in March 2024. A 15-month extension until May 2025 was approved last year by donors to continue supporting ongoing efforts in biodiversity protection in the three priority landscapes and fulfill the project commitments to the Lao government, local communities, and donors.
Launched in March 2020, the ECILL project, worth a total of €6.8 million, has been co-funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement and implemented by WCS Lao PDR in joint efforts with the Lao government and local communities to protect the Lao PDR’s unique biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources.
The ECILL Steering Committee meeting took place on November 22nd 2024 in Vientiane and brought together 20 representatives from the Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Bolikhamxay and Savannakhet Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office, the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Protected Area Management Sections in Houaphan and Bolikhamxay, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union Delegation (EU) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).