Between 20 and 23 March 2017, the Champasack Provincial Office of Agriculture and Forestry (PAFO) welcomed a team of national REDD+ officials, members of the Social and Environment Safeguards (SES) Technical Working Group (TWG) and a technical adviser to carry out provincial, district and community consultations to determine the drivers (key causes), underlying causes and the strategy options to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. The consultation took place at the provincial level with various civic stakeholders in attendance before moving to Paksong District and followed by a kumban (village cluster) gathering held at Houykong village.
The issue of deforestation and forest degradation is a common concern among provincial, district and community stakeholders who took part in the consultation. They had the opportunity to learn the central-level findings on the drivers and causes of the issue. After breaking down into small discussion groups, the participants then discussed what they see as significant drivers and underlying causes pertinent to their situation.
The consultation in Champasack Province forms a crucial part of a series of “hotspots” of deforestation that REDD+ Lao PDR program is examining in Bolikhamxay, Attapeu, Champasack, Savannakhet, and Khammouane Provinces. The findings and results of these local consultations will form part of the inputs to the National REDD+ Strategy.