Core area: Conserving nature and natural resources, protecting life on Earth Protecting ecosystems under threat

The country’s dense forests, riverscapes and wetlands are home to highly diverse ecosystems and are the main source of livelihoods for many people in Laos. The Mekong River plays a particularly vital role. It is one of the largest rivers in Southeast Asia, linking Laos with many of its neighbouring countries. The river system with its many branches creates numerous different habitats and provides people with food, clean water, energy and sources of income. It plays an important part in the long-term protection of the region’s climate and ecological equilibrium.

However, logging, poaching, overexploitation and the effects of climate change are threatening the region’s unique biodiversity and the quality of life of local inhabitants. These changes are directly felt by rural communities in particular, which depend heavily on intact ecosystems. Weak administrative structures and failure to enforce environmental legislation make it hard to protect the country’s natural environment, and they create opportunities for illegal activities which often go largely ignored.

Goals of the projects

The projects being carried out in Laos and the Mekong region follow the overarching goals of effectively protecting natural resources, such as forests, wetlands and the region’s diverse ecosystems, and making sustainable use of these resources.

Processes and priority areas

• On behalf of the BMZ, GIZ and KfW are promoting forest conservation and reforestation. Local communities – and women in particular – are being supported in managing their forest land in a way that is sustainable, climate-smart and self-determined. This enables them to secure their livelihoods, gain income from climate-friendly forest management and participate more actively in economic life.
  
• Advice on managing protected areas provided under German development cooperation has contributed to a notable achievement: the designation of the Hin Nam No National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2025.
  
• There is a project supporting resilient land use models that are sustainable long-term, even in the face of the effects of climate change. These models are based on building production systems and supply chains that have a lower impact on forests and thereby greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An important achievement of Lao-German cooperation has been the approval and implementation of funding from the Green Climate Fund.
  
• There are several projects that support regional authorities in the forestry and environmental sector when it comes to enforcing legislation and strengthening administrative structures. Local partner organisations like the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, civil society and businesses are receiving guidance on improving biodiversity protection and on the sustainable use of natural resources.