While the Turning Land Into Capital policy of the Government of Laos (GoL) in the first decade of the millennium prompted an influx of new commercial investments in land, the GoL subsequently realised the unsustainability of this land- and extractive industry-based growth, as well as the limits of its own capacities to properly manage and adequately benefit from those land concessions. Investments in, and practices on lands currently often happen at the expense of local communities and / or the environment. The loss of land is typically compensated inadequately, few opportunities for local communities to benefit exist, and no alternative livelihoods are provided. Unsustainable practices focus on short-term benefits, resulting in uncontrolled pollution, soil degradation and loss of biodiversity.

To achieve more sustainable management of land and other natural resources, the GoL has asked Switzerland to continue its technical support through the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) to further improve both land governance on the part of the government, and land management practices on the part of land users (farmers and private sector investors).

Direct beneficiaries:

• 1’400 GoL technical staff trained on LCIS in provincial offices and 35 Training of Trainers (ToTs) in national office (one third female). 340 GoL technical staff trained on new QI in provincial offices and 25 ToTs in national office
• 700 farmers trained and/ or engaged with (300 females, 400 males, at least 50% ethnic minorities) in Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices
• 121 farmers received small grants to implement SLM practices
• 5 investment companies supported in implementing SLM practices

Indirect beneficiaries:

2’000 commercial farmers benefit through farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer. 2’000 companies benefit from improved capacities of GoL to manage land investments.

The objective of the project is to improve the sustainability of land management and governance through enhanced knowledge, capacities and processes that promote quality investments and climate-resilient land management practices for the benefit of Lao society.

Outcome 1: Government institutions actively manage land investments in a more sustainable and climate-aware manner, in coordination across sectors and administrative levels, by actively maintaining and using integrated information bases for concrete action.

Outcome 2: Policies and practices for increased livelihood securities and climate resilience of local communities and just land management are positively shaped by new scientific knowledge including application of geospatial data.

Outcome 3: Land users apply climate smart, gender sensitive, and socially just land management practices for sustainable rural development and resilient communities.

Expected results:  

• Number of evidence-based actions/decisions/instructions/laws/policies/guid elines developed that effectively support well coordinated management of land-based investments
• Number of evidence-based decisions/instructions/laws/policies/guidelines developed that effectively support sustainable Natural Resource Management
• Number of people who consider that they are more resilient to climate change by applying sustainable land management practices

Results from previous phases:  

This first phase builds on the assets of the former Lao DECIDE/Knowledge for Development K4D project. Key results included:

• Project improved cross-sectoral coordination for land governance, created a more open attitude towards information sharing also on issues perceived ‘sensitive’, and a receptive environment for using scientific knowledge as a basis for planning and decision-making
• Comprehensive database Land Concession Inventory System (LCIS) established to manage concession areas, shared and used across five sectors mainly at central level, including 1,758 land titles by mid-2022
• Project initiated a tool (Quality Assessment of Investments - QI) to assess quality of investments, based on regulatory, economical, ecological and social dimensions
• Based on the results of LCIS and QI, Prime Minister established cross-sectoral task force to re-investigate 438 concession projects, leading to cancelling of 372 concession agreements
• LCIS successfully piloted in Savannakhet province

Insights: The final evaluation recommended amongst others to continue support from CDE to GoL, scale up LCIS and QI, strengthen multisectoral integrated research and analysis capacities, roll-out to sub-national level and engage directly with farmers and investors for the use of SLM practices.

SDC: LURAS, MRLG, ESLR

Other DPs: WB, Germany through GIZ