(June 21, 2023) After three years in the making, the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Sonexay Siphandone adopted the new decree on protected areas in Laos on 20 June 2023, marking a major milestone for better management and governance of these biodiversity-rich zones. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) worked hand in hand with the Lao government, protected area practitioners and key stakeholders to strengthen this important national legislation, within the framework of the ‘Ecosystem Conservation through Int...

READ THE STORY

(April 12, 2023) On Monday April 10th, 2023, the Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held the meeting on Approval of the Xe Champhone Ramsar Management Plan under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Chanthaneth Boualapha, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and Mrs. Lingkham Sengtavanh, Vice Governor of Savannakhet Province with relevant participants from local level and INGOs including Provincial of Natural Resources and Environment; Provincial of Agriculture and F...

READ THE STORY

(March 04, 2023) World Wildlife Day is celebrated globally every March 3rd to honor the birthday of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This year’s World Wildlife Day fell on the 50th Anniversary of CITES coming into existence and marked the launch of two key legislations in Lao PDR; the launching of the Government Decree implementing CITES in Lao PDR and the National Wildlife Health Surveillance Standard Operation Procedures. The launch of the Na...

READ THE STORY

(February 12, 2023) Wetlands support biodiversity stability and growth, but did you know that 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the past 50 years? This is a trend that must be reversed. Wetland restoration has a dramatic impact on our globe and benefits us in multiple ways including reviving biodiversity, improving water supplies, storing carbon, reducing extreme weather, improves livelihoods, boosts eco-tourism, and enhances well-being. World Wetlands Day takes place globally every February ...

READ THE STORY

(January 26, 2023) On Thursday January 26th, 2023, the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry represented by Deputy Director General, PhD. Somvang Phimmavong, Deputy Director General and the Wildlife Conservation Society represented by Country Director, PhD. Santi Saypanya signed their sixth Memorandum of Understanding for Nam Et – Phou Louey National Park Management at the Provincial Finance Office in Luang Prabang in front of government officials from Ministry of Agriculture & F...

READ THE STORY

(January 13, 2023) On January 13th 2022, 36 representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union (EU) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) gathered to review the achievements and challenges met by the Ecosystem Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management in Lao PDR (ECILL). “WCS has been working in Laos since the 1980s when they first helped our government survey biodiversi...

READ THE STORY

(June 17, 2022) Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, together with their government partners and members of the Ban Natay Village Conservation Team conducted field biodiversity monitoring and collected eggs from the nest of a Siamese crocodile in the Greater Xe Champhone Wetlands in Savannakhet Province. Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered, with less than 1,000 individuals in the wild. In natural populations far less than 5% of eggs laid will be able to survive to adulthood. By collecting...

READ THE STORY

(May 19, 2022) Vientiane Capital, 18 May 2022 – The Department of Forestry (DOF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry held a national consultation workshop on 18 May 2022 among key stakeholders working to safeguard the nation’s protected areas with the finalization of the updated Decree on Protected Areas. As Lao PDR continues to strive towards middle-income country status and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of Lao recognizes the importance of sustainable econ...

READ THE STORY

(June 30, 2021)

(June 29, 2021) 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.    ອີກບໍ...

READ THE STORY

(March 22, 2019) 1. We, the Ministers responsible for CITES and Wildlife Enforcement, hereby convey our Statement on Illegal Wildlife Trade in the occasion of the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Illegal Wildlife Trade on 21-22 March 2019 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, under the chairmanship of H.E. General Surasak Karnjanarat, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Kingdom of Thailand, representing the 2019 Chair Country of ASEAN. 2. We endorsed the Chiang Mai Statement of ASEAN Ministers Responsible...

READ THE STORY

(January 28, 2019)   -   Laos has vowed to continue cooperation with international partners in addressing challenges in wildlife law enforcement, with the country still at risk of illegal trading.Deputy Director of the Department of Forest Inspection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ms Louamkham Sengchanoudom, addressed the issue on Thursday at a consultation workshop on the Wildlife Legality Compendium Project.

READ THE STORY

(January 11, 2019) More than 73 kilograms of ivory products were confiscated from a souvenir shop in Luang Prabang province recently and the foreign owner detained for suspected trading in elephant ivory.The Forest Inspection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in collaboration with the Lao Wildlife Enforcement Network (Lao-WEN) and local authorities raided the shop and confiscated more than 3,400 ivory items weighing 73.8 kilograms. The ivory products were hidden in secret drawers under the shop&rsq...

READ THE STORY

(October 12, 2018) Over 50 countries have adopted the London 2018 declaration committing to action to protect endangered species around the globe, with more expected to sign today and in the coming days.On top of the high-level international agreement, a number of countries will also pledge individual commitments to stamp out the abhorrent trade. These will be added and published over the coming weeks and months to ensure momentum continues in this crucial area.Hosted by the UK government, the two-day ev...

READ THE STORY

(September 19, 2018)   -   A Vietnamese businessman suspected of trafficking and trading in elephant ivory was recently arrested in Vientiane, police officers said.The raid was based on a verified tip-off and a report from a citizen about the suspected trafficking, said the Department of Combating Natural Resources and Environmental Crime (DCNEC) under the Ministry of Public Security.

READ THE STORY

(May 31, 2018)   -   Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has issued an order to tighten regulations against hunting and trade of protected wildlife. Individuals or groups that breach the order are to be arrested and prosecuted.The PM issued the Order for Increased Stringency in Management and Inspection of Protected Wild Fauna and Flora, No. 05/PM, on 08 May this year. 

READ THE STORY

(December 16, 2017) The Mekong region is a perfect storm - a source, transit route and final destination for many of the world’s most valuable and threatened wildlife species. This multi-million dollar trade significantly threatens the survival of endangered species including tiger, Asian and African elephant, and all rhino species, as well as pangolins - the most trafficked animal in the world. Illegal wildlife trafficking represents the third-largest illicit trade in the world, with an estimated value of up...

READ THE STORY

(July 04, 2013) Vientiane Times, July 5, 2013 Nearly 100 officials from three northern provinces gathered in Luang Prabang province last week to discuss the sustainability of the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (NPA), regarded as one of the most important NPAs in Laos. The annual meeting, organised by the Ministry of National Resources and Environment with support from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Bank, aimed to review achievements and the future direction of the 420,000ha pro...

READ THE STORY

(February 12, 2013) Fewer than 250 of the critically endangered crocs remain in the wild Release is a collaboration of WCS, Government of Lao PDR, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,  Minmetals Resources Limited, Lao Zoo,  and local communities THAN SOUM, LAO PDR (February 21, 2012) — The Wildlife Conservation Society announced today the successful release of 19 critically endangered baby Siamese crocodiles into a local wetland in Lao PDR, where they will be repatriated into ...

READ THE STORY

(December 18, 2012) On December 18th, 2012, the WCS Lao program signed a six year agreement with the Lao Department of Forestry to support the implementation of the Lao – GermanClimate Protection through Avoided Deforestation (CliPAD) project in Houaphan Province. Under this agreement, WCS will provide technical services related to REDD+ safeguards, national protected area (NPA) management, law enforcement strategy development and general REDD+ readiness support. CliPAD is a €14 million development proj...

READ THE STORY