Freshwater Programme Brochure

© Shutterstock Suriya99 / WWF

LAOS

5 YEARS DURATION

1,394,000 USD

From 2022 to 2026

Funded by: Federal Ministry

for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), WWF-Switzerland, WWF-Singapore, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

3 PROVINCES 8 DISTRICTS Savannakhet:

Phine, Songkhone and Thapangthong districts

Champasak:

Khong, Soukhouma and Pathoumphone districts

41 TARGET VILLAGES

Salavan:

Lakhonepheng and Kongxedon districts

ENHANCING MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES THROUGH CO-MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CLIMATE-RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS IN LAOS

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RIVERS FOR LIFE WWF-Laos: P.O. Box 7871, House No. 39, Unit 05, Saylom Village Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. Tel: +856 21 216080 wwf-laos@wwf.org.la www.wwf.org.la

FOR A FUTURE WHERE THE PEOPLE OF LAOS CAN THRIVE AND LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE.

In 8 districts of the 3 provinces

BACKGROUND LAOS

FRESHWATER

RIVERS FOR LIFE

HOW WE WORK

The Mekong River is the world’s most productive inland fishery, providing livelihoods to 60 million people, up to 80% of the animal protein to people in the Mekong River basin, and accounting for 15% of the global inland catch. It also hosts one of the most diverse and prolific freshwater capture fisheries in the world, second only to that of the Amazon. WWF-Laos has been working on fisheries co-management in Laos since 2002, in partnership with the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Over the past 20 years, WWF-Laos has supported DLF for the creation of more than 300 Fish Conservation Zones (FCZ) across the country, covering more than 6,000 hectares of freshwater in Laos.

WWF-Laos and DLF extend the partnership for another 5 years (2022-2026), focusing on the Mekong Plains Landscape and the surrounding Plains, with 2 Priority Sites for sustainable aquatic species management and livelihood improvement.

WHERE WE WORK

PARTNERSHIP

GOAL

China

The 5-year Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Laos), with the activities implemented together with the provincial agriculture and forestry office; district agriculture and forestry office, the department of water resources, civil society organization, communities, and private sector partners.

The project outcomes contribute to the overall development goal of the Lao P.D.R., and in particular that of food security, nutrition, agriculture and forestry, through supporting the co-management and sustainable use of aquatic resources in the Mekong and its tributaries, and improving the livelihood and wellbeing of surrounding communities.

Vietnam Burma

LAOS Thailand

LIVELIHOOD

594,140

MEKONG PLAINS LANDSCAPE XEBANGHIENG RIVERSCAPE 12,500 sq km

SIPHANDONE RIVERSCAPE 4,860 sq km

WHAT WE DO

Expand of fisheries co-management systems through the creation of FCZs and its management committees, and species monitoring

© Nicolas Axelrod / WWF

Cambodia

Maintain a free-flowing middle Mekong and strengthen community-led conservation and sustainable fisheries.

Promote ecosystembased adaptation to climate-change for sustainable livelihoods

Capacity building on promotion and the implementation of fisheries law and the regulation of the FCZs across Laos

Monitor and register FCZs across Laos, especially those supported by WWF-Laos

people in the 41 target villages of the 3 provinces will be benefited from the projects, and from the management of aquatic resources.

KEY THREATS TO THE MEKONG

© Sisouvanh Phetbouly / WWF-Laos

Overfishing and illegal fishing

Impacts of climate change on ecosystem

Impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity and habitats