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activities WORLDWIDE

Consulting ENGINEERS since 1977

The Government of Lao PDR has entered into a Grant Agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for implementing the Greater Mekong Sub-region Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project. The Project will maintain and consolidate forest ecosystem connectivity in about 17,000 ha of corridors between Xe Xap National Protected Area (NPA) in Xekong with Dong Amphan NPA in Attapeu and Xepian and Dong Hua Sao NPAs in Champasak in southern Lao PDR.

The Project will enhance trans-boundary cooperation and management of forest ecosystems in Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Vietnam. These important biodiversity conservation landscapes are vulnerable to increased development pressures and environmental degradation. The Project will promote sustainable resource use by restoring and enhancing the forests in the biodiversity corridors, managing conservation in the biodiversity corridors, and initiating development activities that will improve livelihoods. The Project will cover 69 villages in five districts across the three provinces with a total population of about 27,000 living in about 4,700 households.

The major components of the project are:
  1. Institutional and community strengthening for biodiversity corridor management;
  2. Biodiversity corridor restoration and ecosystem services protection, including activities on village-based participatory measurement of carbon sequestration, and certifying forests to enter voluntary carbon markets and REDD programs.
  3. Livelihood improvement and small-scale infrastructure support; and
  4. Project management and support services. Output (II)

In 2013, planning has begun to enhance the Project through the provision of US$13 million in funds from the Forest Investment Program. These funds will be targeted at preparing project forests for REDD initiatives.

Contract Authority and Executing Agency is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). Implementing Agency is MoNRE’s Department of Forest Resource Management, represented by the National Project Management Office (NPMO).

Services Provided

Provision of in total 270 person-months national and international long-term and intermittent short-term advisory services and training to strengthen the technical, operating and management capacity of the Forest Resource Management Department (MoNRE) and relevant provincial actors.

Specific tasks comprise a range of specialties, including:

  1. Forestry / biodiversity, including climate resilience and REDD activities,
  2. GIS / land-use planning,
  3. Social safeguards, gender / community,
  4. Environmental safeguards,
  5. Village development and infrastructure,
  6. Business development / agroprocessing / non-timber forest products, and
  7. Project management, accounting and other administration.
  8. Provision of on-the-job training to the National Project Management Office (NPMO) and Provincial Project Office (PPO) staff in technical, contract administration, and financial management.
  9. Provision of hands-on training in nursery operation and management, forest restoration and home garden improvements, including organic products.

(joint venture – lead firm)