Dr. Somvang Phimmavong, Director General of Department of Forestry, opened with thanks “on behalf of the Government, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the European Union for its continuous assistance and support. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR for being a reliable and committed development partner. I look forward to our continued cooperation and shared success in the future.”
The MoU signing was co-chaired by Dr. Somvang Phimmavong, Director General of Department of Forestry, Ambassador H.E. Mark Gallagher, the European Union and Santi Saypanya, Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR, in the presence of representatives from Central, Provincial and District Government, the European Union Delegation, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Guardians of Lao Nature project is a partnership between the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment Development Association (SAEDA) in joint efforts with the Lao government and local communities to establish strong civil society networks directly engaging in co-management of protected areas and protecting Lao biodiversity, forest ecosystems and wetlands.
The European Union Ambassador H.E. Mark Gallagher emphasized “through this project, communities will be empowered to become true stewards of their environment. By strengthening civil society, enhancing co-management capacities, and fostering dialogue, Guardians of Lao Nature promotes a model where conservation, livelihoods, and local governance reinforce one another. It will also raise awareness and communicate more effectively the value of nature for the future of Lao PDR.”
At the heart of the program is the Forest Development Village model, a nationally recognized framework under the new Protected Area Decree of the Forestry Law that empowers local communities living within or adjacent to conservation areas, to work directly with Protected Area and wetland authorities to protect forests, wildlife, and natural resources.
“Forest Development Villages show that when communities are empowered as stewards of nature, both people and ecosystems benefit” explained Santi Saypanya, Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR.
The three year project will strengthen the role of civil society organizations in forest and natural resource management through the structure and networks of Forest Development Villages, improve participatory protected area and wetland management by enhancing the capacity of social networks to directly develop and implement village-level forest management plans and enable civil society organizations to contribute to national policy development on land and resource tenure, forest, protected area and wetland management.
