Lao PDR      PDF  | Print |  Email

laosflagAmazing Biodiversity

  • 8,100 species of flowering plants
  • 166 species of reptiles and amphibians
  • 430 species of birds
  • 90 species of bats
  • Over 100 species of large mammals
  • 87 families of fish


Ratification of MEAs
  • CBD – 1996
  • CITES – 2004
  • WHC – 1987
  • Cartagena Protocol – 2004

Endangered Species
  • Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi siamensis)
  • Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)
  • Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti)
  • Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

Description

In terms of habitat diversity, there are 7 habitats in Lao PDR that are of high international conservation significance:

  • Evergreen forest of the Sai Phou Luang and foothills;
  • Central Indochina limestone karst;
  • Dry dipterocarp forests in the Mekong plain;
  • Boliven plateau;
  • Northern highlands;
  • Mekong River, and
  • Other rivers and streams.

Legal Framework

The country’s national protected areas (NPAs) system was officially established in 1993, and there are currently 20 protected areas.  The system covers 3.4 million ha or 14 % of the total land area of Lao PDR.  Threats to biodiversity include agricultural practices that cause habitat degradation, livestock grazing, illegal wildlife trade, harvesting of non-timber forest products, illegal logging and development projects.

Forestry Law No. 01 of 1996 defines the nature, functions, objectives, and legal status of NPAs with villagers. It also established zoning procedures within the NPAs, and categorized zones into totally protected, controlled use and corridor zones.  Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Regulation No. 0360 of 2003 on Management of NPAs, Aquatic Animals and Wildlife, provides guidelines on the establishment and zoning of NPAs, describes restricted activities, and discusses funding as well as the duties of state agencies in NPAs management.  

Numerous rare or endemic animal species are present, including globally significant large mammals such as the saola and giant muntjac.  The greatest threats to wildlife in Lao PDR are the domestic and international trade of wildlife and unsustainable harvest of wildlife for subsistence consumption. While loss of habitat poses an additional strain on remaining wildlife populations, persistent over-harvesting of species is having devastating results. The ecology and distribution of the animals facing the greatest threat are poorly understood. Therefore, their role in the forest ecosystem and the consequence of their depletion on forest ecology is difficult to predict.

 

 

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