Forest Strategy to 2035 and Vision to 2025.

This Lao PDR Forestry Strategy to 2035 and Vision to 2050 builds on the achievements and lessons from the 2005–2020 strategy, which increased forest cover from 41.5% to 62% and improved forest management systems. The new strategy emphasizes sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and socio-economic development. It aims to maintain forest resources as vital for water protection, carbon absorption, and livelihoods while addressing challenges such as forest encroachment, illegal logging, weak law enforcement, and insufficient funding. Lessons learned highlight the importance of strong governance, community participation, integrated land-use planning, and international cooperation.
The strategy sets a vision of healthy forests contributing to poverty reduction, green growth, and climate resilience. Key targets include raising forest cover to 70%, restoring 1.3 million hectares of degraded forest, planting 500,000 hectares of trees and NTFPs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Eight strategic plans guide actions in forest protection, tree planting, sustainable utilization, wood and NTFP processing, livelihood improvement, sector strengthening, and international cooperation. Implementation principles stress legality, sustainability, gender equity, and inclusive participation, supported by robust monitoring and evaluation systems.