Green Growth Platform for Lao PDR

Project Summary:

The grant aims to build on previous KGGTF funding to support World bank Group initiatives that identify and implement green growth solutions. 

Economic growth in Lao PDR is averaging nearly eight percent annual increase over the last decade. But that growth is driven in large part by natural resource-based industries such as mining, timber, and hydropower has not translated to poverty reduction. Policy makers worry recent economic growth is environmentally damaging and unsustainable, especially in the face of increased flood and drought risk due to climate change. 

This KGGTF grant will support the Government of Lao with technical assistance, analysis, and advisory services to develop a Green Resilient Growth Platform with the National Economic Research Institute and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, among others. The program will work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and  

Environment to use existing Integrated Spatial Plans as development tools and conduct a sustainable agriculture study in an effort to boost  

production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming and build climate change resilience. The government will also analyze in depth the political, legal, institutional, and organizational barriers to implement a Green Resilient Growth Platform.  

The analytical work and consensus building that are key to this KGGTF program will support the World Bank’s broader lending efforts in the region to collaborate with the Government of Laos’ on green growth efforts. 

Outcomes:

Output 1: 

• 1-1. Technical workshops and learning events for sector-specific or cross-sectoral topics and their summaries as technical input into policy action development, consensus-building documents across ministries and/or agencies on policy actions, high-level study tours, and annual events for structured dialogue among government, development partners, private sector, civil society and international experts.
• 1-2. Summaries or findings of the events held as technical inputs into policy action development, and consensus-building documents across ministries and/or agencies on policy actions

Output 2: Development of individual technical notes, recommendations for policy areas, and roadmaps for effective execution of policy actions.

• 2-1. Analysis produced on potential value of nature-based tourism (NBT)
• 2-2. Strategy developed for improved utilization of certification system
• 2-3. Gap in the current ESS framework analyzed with recommended strategy for strengthening; Strategy developed for improved utilization of ISP
• 2-4. Survey of stakeholder map, and policy gaps; Current status of urban services provided
• 2-5. Gap in the current ESS framework analyzed with recommended strategy for strengthening; Strategy developed for improved utilization of ISP
• 2-6. Survey of current actions, stakeholder map, and policy gaps and SWOT analysis

Outcomes: