FOREST MANAGEMENT & CONSERVATION

closed

The Forest Management and Conservation Project aims to assist Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) with the introduction of a more sustainable natural resource management system and conservation of the country's forest resources. As the first of several sequential operations that IDA may support in Lao PDR over the next 10-15 years, the project will focus at this stage on completing forestry sector reforms, developing the Department of Forestry's operational capacity, and implementing programs in forest inventory and planning, sustainable forest management and protection, and establishment of protected forest areas for biodiversity conservation. Specifically, the five-year project will support: (a) implementation of an appropriate institutional framework and formulation of the necessary regulatory framework for the forestry sector; (b) implementation of national programs in forest resource inventory and planning, sustainable forest management and protection, and establishment and management of protected forest areas; (c) human resource development; and (d) technical assistance. The Global Environmental Trust Fund will finance the protected areas activities, including technical assistance and human resource development. The objectives of this project are to protect biological diversit through human resource development and institutional strengthening, th designation, establishment and management of priority protected areas protection of associated wildlife, and the planning and implementation community participating programs in and around protected areas. The f Global Environment Trust Fund (GET) will include: (a) protected area s development and management, including buffer zone development; (b) tec assistance and conservation training; (c) environmental monitoring and evaluation; and (d) design and establishment of a Conservation Trust F GET will finance civil works, including offices, housing, small scale agriculture and infrastructure development in the buffer zones, vehicl equipment, fuel and materials, salaries and allowances, technical assi and training.