I looked at the smiling faces of school children in front of me. They looked excited and nervous at the same time. They watched us with curiosity – a group of ‘farangs’ for whom they had been waiting to perform for. We were at the primary school in Dong village, Paek district of Xieng Khouang province in Lao PDR. It was the first stop on our field visit. The idyllic surroundings contrasted even more sharply with the purpose of our visit. We were a team of development partners who had come to witness how unexploded ordnances (UXOs) were being cleared so that local communities could be safe. The contradictions continue. In 2019, the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khuoang province, comparable to Stonehenge, became a World Heritage site. With its hot springs and its history, the province could be a tourist magnet, much like its neighbouring province, Luang Prabang. The programme started with teachers from UXO Laos explaining the dangers of UXOs to children. I looked around – the children were between six and 12 years of age. There was no mincing of words. I cringed. Would I be able to tell this to my almost five-year-old in the same way? Or would I worry that I was going to traumatize him?   As I listened, I realized slowly that the learning tools – the visuals, the songs and the puppet show – made the children laugh and relax. Is the UXO a toy? No! Do you want to lose a limb? No! Do UXOs have an expiry date? No! The school grounds itself bore telltale signs of how real UXOs were for these children. There were two large bomb craters to remind everyone every day. The risk was real and it was absolutely imperative that they knew it. As a student of War Studies, I had studied the Indo-China wars. But nowhere in my reading had I learnt that Laos was the most bombed country per capita in the world! Is this what is called collateral damage? What an inadequate word for a war that had happened 50 years ago, for a war which is far from over for those who live the daily risk of losing their limbs, or worse, their lives.   Our next stop was the UXO clearance site. As the UXO Lao’s All Women clearance team demonstrated how they detect and detonate, I couldn’t help but think of how challenging and inter-connected development is. The large presence of UXOs meant that there were swathes of land still unavailable for cultivation. The constant and ever-present danger meant that UXO survivors were often disabled. Together, this meant that local communities were vulnerable to food insecurity and job insecurity. The Government of Lao PDR’s Sustainable Development Goal number 18 is Lives Safe from UXO. The road ahead is steep, but there is no doubt that it has to be climbed faster. As we are at the halfway mark to the SDGs, this is the time to redouble our efforts for the people of this special country. The blog is written by Shairi Mathur, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office, Lao PDR as part of an official mission led by the UN Development Programme with development partners to visit the UNDP project.

13 October 2023: Marking International Day for Disaster Reduction this year marks the mid-point in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, a global agreement designed to mitigate the impact of disasters and enhance resilience to future risks. What is the Sendai Framework? The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015- 2030 aims to reduce the impact of disasters and enhance resilience to future risks. The framework outlines four priorities for action: understanding disaster risk, strengthening disaster risk governance, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery. Why Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework? All countries are encouraged to undertake a mid-term review of the Sendai Framework. The mid-term review is an opportunity to assess progress, identify challenges and gaps and make adjustments to ensure the successful implementation of the framework. A delegate from Lao PDR participated in the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the mid-term review of the Sendai Framework in May 2023 in New York. Lao PDR has conducted a mid-term review of the Sendai Framework in 2023 which assesses the progress, challenges and achievements so far as identified under the four main pillars: Understanding Disaster Risk: Lao PDR has a data collection system and capacities to collect and analyze data at national and sub-national levels. Investments in hydrometeorological stations have improved early warning and preparedness, especially with regard to floods. A national climate change vulnerability assessment was conducted in 2019. Sub-national flood and drought maps are currently being prepared, and village-level disaster preparedness and response plans are being developed in some villages under the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance: Lao PDR has formulated the Disaster Management Law 2019, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2021-2030, and the Resilience Framework 2022-2025. Disaster risk reduction and climate change have been integrated into the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. Capacities of disaster management committees have been strengthened and disaster response exercises are regularly implemented. Lao PDR has prioritized the development and implementation of a sub-national disaster risk reduction strategy, with the aim of having a strategy in place by 2026. Three provinces have already developed their own disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans. Lao PDR has emphasized the integration of anticipatory actions into disaster risk reduction plans at the sub-national level. Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience: Investments in infrastructure development include the construction of flood control systems, prevention of bank erosion and use of renewal energy systems. Several of these initiatives have been implemented in collaboration with international development partners with a special focus on empowering women and youth. The country has also developed resilience-building codes and guidelines. The Government of Lao PDR launched the National Financial Protection Strategy against Disaster Risks in 2023 with the aim to strengthen the resilience. Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response and Recovery: Lao PDR has strengthened its humanitarian logistics support and established mobile logistics centers across the country. This has facilitated timely and efficient response operations. The country has also focused on building its capacity to organize larger-scale response operations and has improved its post-disaster recovery assessment tools. Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future Lao PDR is one of the 30 pilot countries under the UN Secretary General’s Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) global initiative. The goal of this initiative is to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by early warnings by 2027. Through this initiative, it is aimed to foster disaster risk knowledge, enhance disaster preparedness and response, improve forecasting and monitoring of early warnings, and enhance dissemination and communication of early warning information. The implementation of the EW4ALL initiative in Lao PDR is expected to contribute to all four pillars of the Sendai Framework. The Resilience Framework 2022-2025 and the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative in Lao PDR are interconnected. The Resilience Framework offers a comprehensive approach to enhance resilience at all levels, encompassing individuals, communities, and institutions. It underscores the importance of early warning systems as a crucial element of disaster preparedness. The objective of the EW4ALL initiative is to ensure that early warning systems are accessible and effective for everyone, including marginalized and vulnerable populations. Challenges and the Road Ahead In a country where the Covid-19 pandemic was followed by the 4F crisis (food, fuel, fertilizer and finance), keeping the momentum on the progress made is a difficult path. This is where initiatives such as the EW4ALL are innovative, bringing together stakeholders so that efforts can be joined up and resources – both financial and technical – can be optimized. Studies around the world have proven that the cost of prevention is much lower than the cost of response and recovery. Such a long-term view for resilience investments in Lao PDR are critical, particularly as climate change is increasing the scale and frequency of disasters in the country and the region.    Lao PDR’s mid-term review of the Sendai Framework provides five broad recommendations: First, it calls on all relevant stakeholders in disaster risk reduction to collaborate and harmonize their efforts in jointly building the capacities of government at all levels. Second, it calls on the government to allocate budget towards early warning, preparedness and risk reduction measures so as to mitigate the impact of disasters. Third, it calls on public-private partnerships that leverage resources, expertise and networks to facilitate comprehensive and sustainable approaches to reduce disaster risks. Fourth, it calls for the need to disseminate risk knowledge at the sub-national levels and among the community which is often the first responder in the case of a disaster event. Fifth, it calls for the conduct and regular updating of hazard risk assessments across the country to map existing as well as anticipate future risks for risk informed planning and development. As the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction Day suggests, disasters affect the poorest and the most vulnerable the most. Risk reduction is essential in our fight against poverty and inequality and in order to ensure that we leave no one behind – women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups.

The national rollout of the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative in Lao PDR has been commenced with a multi-stakeholder consultation workshop held on September 21, 2023, in Vientiane. Last year, during the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres launched the early warnings for all initiative, aiming to ensure that all countries establish inclusive, multi-stakeholder early warnings systems by the end of 2027. The initiative at the global level is spearheading by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), along with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). To roll out the early warnings for all initiative in Lao PDR, the government has assigned a national focal point from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The one-day workshop, organized by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, and other global pillar leads, aimed to initiate a nationally owned, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder mechanism for framing an early warnings mechanism that is contextualized to the country. The objectives of the workshop included reviewing the existing early warnings scenario in the country, validating stakeholder mapping and gap analysis, discussing the establishment of a national coordination mechanism, and initiating the formulation of a country roadmap for early warnings. The workshop brought together key stakeholders including line ministries, United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, donors, private sectors such as hydropower companies, Lao telecom, and media. A total of 112 people participated in the workshop, including 45% women. During the workshop, participants engaged in interactive sessions, presentations, and discussions led by national and international professionals.   Mr. Chanthaneth BUALAPHA, the vice minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, emphasized the severity of disasters in the country and the importance of the early warnings for all initiative in Lao PDR. He stated, "The success of the Early Warnings for All initiative depends on the effective implementation of the 2023–2027 roadmap. I believe that the pillar-led agencies, as well as all representatives from various organizations participating in the workshop, will play a significant role in ensuring the necessary resources for the implementation early waning for all roadmap in Lao PDR." Ms. Pia Rebello Britto, the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim for Lao PDR, highlighted that the aim of the early warnings for all initiative is not to reinvent the wheel but rather to promote collaboration and synergies, harnessing the comparative advantage of stakeholders and building upon existing programs and initiatives in the country.   As part of the initiative, Lao PDR conducted a stakeholder mapping exercise to identify key actors working in areas relevant to the pillars of the early warnings system and understand their priorities and willingness to continue working on early warnings system. In the initial stage of the mapping exercise, 38 agencies participated, with 20 of them having ongoing projects that partially contribute to the pillars of the early warnings system, and 12 agencies expressing interest in future collaboration on early warnings. Prior to the workshop, a preliminary gap analysis was conducted under each pillar of the early warnings for all initiative. The findings of the analysis were then validated during the workshop. Discussions were held on formulating the early warnings for all roadmap for 2023-2027, and input from multi-stakeholders was received, which will be incorporated into the national early warnings for all roadmap. Additionally, a structure for the national coordination mechanism on the early warnings for all initiative was discussed and proposed during the workshop. The Early Warnings for All multi-stakeholder consultation workshop in Lao PDR marked an important milestone and laid the foundation for developing the national early warnings for all roadmap 2023-2027.  

Thakhek, June 2023: Last month, the United Nations in Lao PDR (UN) convened stakeholders from across sectors for two days in Khammouane Province, to discuss a way forward to further develop sustainable forestry in Lao PDR. The meeting was part of the Sustainable Forest Trade in the Lower Mekong Region (SFT-LMR) Initiative, in the context of broader collaborative efforts between the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the UN-REDD programme (i.e., Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries). Forests and forestry are essential for Lao PDR, not least as forests host much of the country’s rich biodiversity. Over the past two years alone, 53 new species were discovered in Lao PDR, 45 of which are endemic. Sustainable forest management will be crucial to ensure the country’s forest cover, which is aimed to reach 70 per cent, continues to provide ecosystem services – crucial to the country’s development and well-being of its people and wildlife. Sustainable forestry is also a key component of Lao PDR’s ambitious climate targets. The country’s latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May 2021, reflects the national target to increase forest cover to 70 per cent of total land area by 2030. Emissions reductions from the forestry and land use sector will be critical to achieve Lao PDR’s plans for 60 per cent greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2050. While committed to climate action and environmental protection, Lao PDR also aims to leverage its natural resource endowment for public sector revenue generation, economic development and job creation – amongst others through the timber industry and forestry carbon finance. It is in this context that FAO organised a two-day tree plantation field trip and workshop, bringing together 46 participants from Government, private sector, research and academia, trade associations, and development partners, in order to better understand the challenges and discuss a way forward balancing economic and environmental goals. Associate Professor, Dr. Somvang Phimmavong, the Deputy Director of Department of Forestry (DoF) who presided over the workshop as its chair confirms: “the natural conditions and climate of the country lends itself to a thriving tree plantations sector, which can contribute mitigating the global challenge of climate change. We also need responsible companies to bring in sustainable high-quality investments into the sector, including in the processing industry with many different high value-added sub-sectors, creating job opportunities and revenue streams.” Visiting the sites On the first day, participants took part in a field trip to Mekong Timber Plantations (MTP)’s tree plantations, destined to be used as raw material inputs for the company’s veneer mill. MTP’s plantation are certified against the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)’s social and environmental standards.   The field trip also included a visit of MTP’s seedling nursery, and lastly of the smallholder plantations in Nano village of Hinbun district, where smallholders are planting acacia and eucalyptus to sell to companies such as MTP, after a rotation of about eight years. At MTP, out-grower contracts are signed with smallholders, which involve offers of seedlings at discounted prices – as a means to encourage ownership. At time of harvest, a first offer of sales should be made to MTP – unless the smallholders are able to find other buyers with better prices – hence ensuring relative bargaining power and an environmentally sustainable livelihood.     Looking ahead On the second day, a workshop in Thakhek served as a multistakeholder platform to exchange views and discuss how to further develop a sustainable forestry sector. Morning sessions comprised plenary presentations to reflect the broader developments and challenges in the plantation sector: by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) of Lao PDR on the Ministry’s vision and policies, by the European Union (EU) on its upcoming EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), by the President of the Lao Rubber Association (LRA) Dr. Bounthong Buahom on the future of Lao rubber industry, by policy expert and researcher Dr. Hilary Smith on forest plantations in Lao PDR, and by Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and FAO representatives Mr. Richard Laity and Ms. Akiko Inoguchi on forest certification systems and forest carbon finance respectively. Afternoon sessions focused on emerging issues that interface with the plantation sector in Lao PDR, through breakout group discussions on A National Forest Certification System for Lao PDR and Forest Carbon Finance. Leveraging expertise from Dr. Nguyen Van Bich and his experience from Vietnam, the forest certification group updated an ambitious action plan for accelerated development of a national certification system for Lao PDR over the next two years. If implemented successfully, the plan and national certification system development would enable smallholder forest plantation owners to access forest certification through a simplified process through groups of smallholders, thereby facilitating their access to new markets that demand legal and sustainable timber – including preparation for the EUDR. In the meantime, the carbon finance group mapped public benefits and risks of tree plantations (afforestation) forest carbon projects, to consider as Lao PDR further develops its institutional arrangement and legal framework on forest carbon. Going forward, the outcomes of the carbon finance session will serve as a foundation for MAF’s development of sectoral (forestry) carbon finance guidelines, in continued collaboration with FAO and UNEP under the framework of the UN-REDD programme.