Fostering Conservation of Biodiversity, Sustainable Livelihoods and an Empowered Civil Society in Lao PDR

Project title: Fostering Conservation of Biodiversity, Sustainable Livelihoods and an Empowered Civil Society in Lao PDR

Location: Lao PDR

Duration: 2018-2023

The programme will run for a period of five years, during which there will be three calls for proposals to fund a total number of 12 projects.  

Project background:

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is located in the heart of the Indo-Burma Hotspot, which comprises Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and parts of southern China. With high levels of plant and animal endemism and limited remaining natural habitat, Indo-Burma is one of the world’s top ten biodiversity hotspots, and one of the most threatened. Lao PDR is home to important populations of many globally threatened species and includes large areas of relatively intact forest habitat. However, this biodiversity is under ever-increasing threat from unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, illegal hunting and logging, hydropower and infrastructure development, and the expansion of commercial agriculture. The need for a strong, vibrant civil society in Lao PDR that can effectively address environmental issues has never been greater.

Objectives of the programme:

The goal of the programme is to empower local civil society organisations to implement activities that conserve biodiversity and sustainably manage natural resources upon which local livelihoods depend. 

This programme supports small grants for local civil society organisations working in the areas of biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, waste management, and the capacity of civil society organisations. 

Donor:

This project is funded in part by The McConnell Foundation, Redding, California.  The McConnell Foundation is a private, non-profit organisation whose mission is to build better communities through philanthropy.

Announcement:

A call for proposals is now open and applications are due by 11:59 PM Indochina Time (ICT) on 08 May 2022.  For further information please visit the Call for Proposals webpage here.