Forested hillsides in Papua New Guinea. --Photo Cory Wright

US$42 million forest protection programme launched with Laos among beneficiaries

A new USS42.4 million regional programme has been launched to protect primary forests in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with Laos selected as one of three key countries for project implementation.
The Southeast Asia and Pacific Forests Integrated Programme aims to safeguard one of the world’s last major tropical forest regions by addressing deforestation and degradation driven by unsustainable agriculture, logging, and land-use pressures.
Funded by the Global Environment Facility and co-financed by international partners with an additional US$185 million, the six-year programme will be implemented in Laos, Papua New Guinea and Thailand, along with a regional coordination project.
The initiative is jointly led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Participants in the Southeast Asia and Pacific Forests Integrated Programme inception workshop in Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will oversee national project activities, supported by FAO and UNDP.
The project aims to improve the management of 3.2 million hectares of protected areas and over 7 million hectares of surrounding landscapes across participating countries.
In total, it will restore 8,500 hectares of degraded land, mitigate 34 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit nearly 20,000 people.
With more than 560 million people in the Indo-Malayan forest region relying on forest ecosystems for water, food and livelihoods, primary forests are seen as critical to both human wellbeing and climate resilience.
The programme was officially launched last week during an inception workshop held in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, with participation from eight countries, including Laos.
The event served as a platform for countries to align strategies, strengthen collaboration, and set common objectives, such as establishing a regional vision for primary forest protection and setting up knowledge-sharing mechanisms.
Global Environment Facility CEO and Chairperson, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, said conserving primary tropical forests is the best response to the global environmental crisis and supports green development.
IUCN Director General, Dr Grethel Aguilar, said Indo-Malayan forests are ancient, rich in biodiversity, and vital for climate resilience, adding that the programme offers a timely chance for transboundary cooperation and that IUCN is proud to contribute its global expertise.
FAO Assistant Director-General, Mr Alue Dohong, observed that forests provide vital services for rural communities. The programme will strengthen regional efforts to conserve and sustainably manage primary forests, especially in unprotected areas.
Laos’ involvement underscores its growing commitment to regional conservation and green development, with forest preservation now a key part of its strategy to balance environmental protection and sustainable economic growth, according to the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update June 30, 2025)