Archive for the ‘Forestry and REDD’ Category
February 2nd, 2012
 Government is urged to halt the export of unprocessed timber because the Lao wood processing industry is experiencing a shortage of raw materials. Vientiane Time, February 2, 2012
The Lao wood processing industry expects to face a shortage of raw materials this year if the government continues to export unprocessed timber. Lao Wooden Products Association President Mr Thongsavanh Souliyamath made the comment yesterday after the government announced a decision to postpone its logging quota, which could slow the supply of timber to the domestic wood processing industry.
January 27th, 2012
Vientiane Times, January 27, 2012
The government has decided not to approve this year’s logging quota from production forests due to a lack of detailed planning, except where required along road corridors, mine sites or hydropower plants. This year’s timber quota has not yet been approved as the government needs more detailed harvesting plans.
January 26th, 2012
Vientiane Time, January 26, 2012
The forestry sector is facing difficult challenges and is unlikely to meet its targets over the next eight years without better cooperation from various ministries. Deforestation as a result of illegal logging, changes in land use and infrastructure development is hindering efforts to increase forest cover to 65 percent of the total land area by 2015 and 70 percent by 2020.
January 12th, 2012
Vientiane Times, January 12, 2012
More than 133,350 hectares of the Xe Sap National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Xekong and Saravan provinces will now be better protected, Deputy Head of the provincial Sector of Forest Conservation, Mr Keopaylin Gnonphetsy, said on Wednesday. The improved forest protection and surveillance will be funded by KwF, a German non-governmental organisation, at a cost of more than 1.9 million euros and the project will run from 2011-15.
January 12th, 2012
Vientiane Times, January 12, 2012
 Timber is one of the top foreign exchange earners for Laos, alongside mining, electricity and tourism. The European Union funded survey shows that timber was still one of the top foreign exchange earners for Laos in fiscal year 2010/2011. Other top foreign exchange earners were mining products, electricity, tourism, garment products, and cash crops. The survey, which was made possible with cooperation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, identified the major importers of Lao timber as Thailand with trading value of about US$22 million, Vietnam with trading value of US$11 million, and Japan with trading value of US $4.5 million. The European Union and Australia also imported Lao timber products worth US$147,579 and US$151,691 respectively.
December 21st, 2011
 JVC works for community development, peace exchange and emergency relief. Japan Times, December 21, 2011
Decades after gaining independence, Laos still needs outside support for its agriculture sector, the country’s major industry. The Southeast Asian country, which was mostly covered in dense tropical forests until the 1960s, has been suffering from food shortages and deforestation. The nongovernmental organization Japan International Volunteer Center, or JVC, which is engaged in humanitarian aid in nine developing countries including Laos, Afghanistan and Sudan, has been providing aid to improve the lives of Laotians since 1989. The NGO, a regular recipient of The Japan Times Readers’ Fund, this year received ¥184,191 from the fund to train Laotians in agriculture, and the newspaper is currently soliciting donations from readers to support similar activities by the group.
December 1st, 2011
A thematic issue of the Land Tenure Journal brings together theories and practices related to land tenure and climate change both from the mitigation and adaptation perspectives. Articles look at the implications that REDD+ and Payments for Environmental Services pose to land tenure and administration. In addition they propose approaches to deal with the new challenges and analyze the adaptation of local tenure systems and livelihoods to climate change. Land Tenure Journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access flagship journal of the Land Tenure Group within the Natural Resources Management and Environment Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The journal can be accessed here.
November 21st, 2011
 Well-managed wood exploitation can promote job development and create sustainable revenues for the Lao society. KPL, undated
Lower wood prices in the country which is between 25-30 per cent lower than that in the world market is attributed to illegal wood exploitation, according to President of the National Wood Processing Industry Association. Mr. Thongsavanh Souliyamath, whose post is mentioned above said that such illegal logging has caused the government loss of revenues for its coffer. Mr. Thongsavanh said that the illegal logging is against the law on forestry and had brought defame to the country.
November 10th, 2011
Vientiane Times, November 10, 2011
Laos plans to increase the land area certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainable rattan production to boost the income of local families. Laos is first country in the world to have received FSC forest management certification on rattan products as part of the ‘Establishing a Sustainable Production System for Rattan Products Project’. The project carried out in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia aims to establish a sustainable rattan industry by introducing cleaner production and a credible chain-of-custody certification for raw rattan, as well as the establishment of a link to the European market.
November 10th, 2011
 The LIWG Communal Land Titling workshop gathered together a variety of public, private and civil society organisations. Forest Carbon Asia, November 10, 2011
In recent landmark developments, Laos issued its first communal forest land titles on an NGO development project site. Mr. Chanthaviphone Inthavong of the National Land Management Authority laid out the background and government plans for land titling including communal titling, while local government agencies presented their experiences from the case study. Next steps?
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