Protection and sustainable use of wetlands in the lower Mekong region

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Wetlands and their natural resources and ecosystems are the basis for economic development in the Lower Mekong Basin region. They are the basis of life in terms of food, health and income generation for the population and at the same time protect against the effects of climate change in the region. Population growth, conversion to agricultural land, infrastructure expansion and the overuse of natural resources are increasingly leading to the degradation of wetlands in the Lower Mekong Basin and the associated destruction of ecosystem services. The aim of the FC module is therefore, on the one hand, (1) that effective management in selected wetlands in Laos and Cambodia contributes to the protection of biodiversity and the improvement of the living conditions of the local population and, on the other hand, (2) that increased knowledge about wetlands leads to improved regional information exchange and cooperation between the states of the Lower Mekong Basin. The project is divided into two components, the first at national level (component 1 in Laos and Cambodia) and the second at regional level (component 2 with the Secretariat of the Mekong River Commission). The services of the FC module include reviewing and, if necessary, adapting existing management plans to the requirements of the international Ramsar Convention, implementing protection, rehabilitation and monitoring measures, creating income-generating activities and the regional exchange of learning experiences in the field of wetland management. The planned project areas of the national component are wetlands of transboundary importance and high biodiversity in Laos and Cambodia. In Cambodia, these are expected to include (1) the Prek Toal wetland at the northern end of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve and (2) the Ramsar site north of Stung Treng and its buffer zone. The project area in Laos is expected to be the (3) Bang Kiat Ngong Ramsar site in Champasak Province in southern Laos. The target group of the FC module is the population living in the selected communities around the wetlands and whose existence depends directly on the natural resources in these areas. The total cost of the project is estimated at EUR 8.7 million (FC grant of EUR 8 million) for a period of six years.