Wildlife group extends support for National Protected Area
The Wildlife Conservation Society-Laos Programme will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to conserve the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area ecosystem. An agreement on the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area Management and Tiger Conservation Project Phase 5 was signed recently by WCS Country Programme Director, Dr Christopher Holmes, and the ministry’s Forest Resources Management Department Deputy Director General, Mr Bouaphanh Phanthavong. The five-year programme will run until 2021 with financial support of more than 16.2 billion kip (over US$1.9 million) from the AFD, European Union, CliPAD, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Under the agreement, the project will establish model protected area management practices. The Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area (project site) straddles the provinces of Huaphan, Luang Prabang and Xieng Khuang, while the project office is based in Hiem district in Huaphan province.